Plans to redevelop the edge of West End Park — an abandoned site overlooking Lake Pontchartrain that was home to popular waterfront restaurants before Hurricane Katrina — are moving forward after years of false starts, raising fresh concerns from residents of nearby boathouses.
At a community meeting Tuesday night, consultants and elected officials from Orleans and Jefferson parishes asked residents what they’d like to see at the site — feedback that will be used to help draw up specs to hire a developer later this year to come up with a plan
But the meeting at the Jefferson Parish East Bank Regional Library,
“If you were to run a survey of everybody in New Orleans, of course people would love to see Bruning’s and Fitzgerald’s come back. But they don’t live in the neighborhood, and they don’t see how it has changed and how bad the infrastructure is.” rON DUPLeSSIS
the first of two this week, was overwhelmingly attended by opponents of the project, including several boathouse owners, who said they oppose bringing any type of commercial development back to the site. They are pushing, instead, for more green space and even a bird sanctuary
“If you were to run a survey of everybody in New Orleans, of course people would love to see Bruning’s and Fitzgerald’s come back,” said Ron Duplessis “But they don’t live in the neighborhood, and they don’t see how it has changed and how bad the infrastructure is.”
“There is an opportunity to do something special here, to do something with eco-culture,” he added. Returning the corner of the West End Park to commerce has been a priority of state and local elected officials in Orleans and Jefferson parishes for years. But it has been complicated by the fact that the land is owned by the state, managed by the city and partially located in both parishes.
Lewis removed as PSC vice chair
move comes after coarse criticism of Gov. Jeff Landry
BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer
The state Public Service Commission on Wednesday removed Commissioner Davante Lewis as its vice chair after he called Gov. Jeff Landry an “a**hole” on social media.
On a 3-2 vote, the commission chose to replace Lewis with Commissioner Eric Skrmetta in that role on the board.
The vote followed public comment from a line of people arguing the move violated Lewis’ right to free speech.
Sharon White, a retired state employee from Ascension Parish, said she was “just in disbelief at this point that you’re willing to remove an official because of their freedom of speech.”
“To me, to be honest with you, this is straight-up racism,” she said.
Lewis is the commission’s only Black member
On the social media app X, Lewis responded last week to a post from Landry’s account showing a picture of Rachel Levine, who was assistant secretary of health in the Biden administration, next
ä See LEWIS, page 4A
Some Trump policies creating uncertainty for Louisiana CEOs
business leaders remain largely supportive of president
ä See WEST END, page 4A
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
In his first month in office, President Donald Trump has enacted a series of executive orders aimed at fundamentally changing some of the nation’s foreign, domestic and economic policies. Business leaders in Louisiana, a deep red state that Trump carried with 60% of the vote, say the changes have created a sense of uncertainty, making it hard to predict what the world will look like in six weeks, let alone six years. In more than a dozen interviews over the past week, CEOs and executives at many of the state’s largest companies and financial institutions said that they expect some investments to be delayed and are concerned about the potential for scuttled projects. But they largely remain supportive of the new administration.
ä See POLICIES, page 5A
Moreno dominates fundraising in New Orleans mayor’s race
Only declared candidate has nearly $1m in account
BY JAMES FINN
“Everyone else has a lot of catching up to do,” said Ed Chervenak, a political scientist at the University of New Orleans. “It’s going to cause people to think really hard
ä See MORENO, page 4A
millions of dollars candidates are expected to spend on advertising, outreach and campaign staffing. Political analysts gauge it will cost at least a million dollars for mayoral candidates to wage competitive campaigns in New Orleans this year
Thomas
STAFF FILe PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
restaurants and walkways at West end Park on Lake Pontchartrain.
Fitzgerald’s was one of several popular restaurants in West end Park.
STAFF FILe PHOTO
BRIEFS
Google to pay $340M to settle tax evasion case
MILAN Italian prosecutors said Wednesday they will seek to drop a tax evasion investigation against Google after the tech giant agreed to pay a $340 million settlement.
Milan prosecutors had opened an investigation against Google for failure to pay taxes on earnings in Italy from 2015-2019. The investigation focused on revenues from the sale of advertising, and cited the presence of servers and other infrastructure in Italy
Google acknowledged the settlement in statement, saying it resolves “a tax audit without litigation.” Tech giant Google previously paid over $1 billion to French authorities to settle a yearslong dispute over allegations of tax fraud.
Ship to become world’s largest artificial reef
The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef departed from south Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront on Wednesday, marking the opening segment of its final voyage.
The SS United States, a 1,000foot vessel that shattered the transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, is being towed to Mobile, Alabama, for planned prep work before officials eventually sink it off Florida’s Gulf Coast. The move comes about four months after the conservancy that oversees the ship and its landlord resolved a years-old rent dispute. Officials initially planned to move the vessel last November, but that was delayed due to concerns from the U.S. Coast Guard that the ship wasn’t stable enough to make the trip.
Officials in Okaloosa County on Florida’s coastal Panhandle hope it will become a barnacleencrusted standout among the county’s more than 500 artificial reefs and a signature diving attraction that could generate millions of dollars annually in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.
Officials have said the deal to buy the ship could eventually cost more than $10 million. The lengthy process of cleaning, transporting and sinking the vessel is expected to take at least one-and-a-half years.
Mexico requested U.S. surveillance flights
MEXICO CITY Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that surveillance drone flights by the U.S. government over Mexico are occurring in collaboration with and at the request of her government.
They come as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has increased pressure on Mexico to do more to stop the production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl that is smuggled north to the United States.
Earlier this month, Trump threatened, then postponed 25% tariffs on Mexican imports that he said were meant to push Mexico to take more action against its drug cartels. Trump also ordered on his first day in office the designation of some of Mexico’s drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Those designations will be published in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday.
Mexico responded to the tariff threat by sending 10,000 National Guard troops to the northern border
The drone flights were reported Tuesday by the New York Times as a Central Intelligence Agency program aimed at locating fentanyl labs in northwestern Mexico The flights follow U.S military statements that it had increased surveillance capabilities along the countries’ shared border The CIA declined to comment in response to questions about the drone flights.
Mexico’s Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla addressed the flights by U.S. military planes last week, saying that they had not entered Mexican airspace, but that he couldn’t rule out they were spying because he didn’t know what they were doing. Sheinbaum on Wednesday presented a more detailed explanation.
U.S.-Ukraine relations sour over Russia war
BY HANNA ARHIROVA and JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine Relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump deteriorated rapidly Wednesday as Zelenskyy said Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space” and Trump called Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” in comments that were sure to complicate efforts to end the war
Zelenskyy also said he would like Trump’s team “to be more truthful” as he offered his first response to a series of striking claims that Trump made a day earlier, including falsely suggesting that Kyiv was to blame for the war, which enters its fourth year next week.
The comments were a staggering back-and-forth between leaders of two countries that have been staunch allies in recent years under Trump’s predecessor
While former President Joe Biden was in the White House, the U.S. provided crucial military equipment to Kyiv to fend off the invasion and used its political weight to defend Ukraine and isolate Russia on the world stage.
The Trump administration has started charting a new course, reaching out to Russia and pushing for a peace deal. Senior officials from both countries held talks Tuesday to discuss improving ties, negotiating an end to the war and potentially preparing a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin after years of frosty relations.
Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy in a so-
cial media post that apparently referred to the fact that Ukraine has delayed elections because of the invasion and the subsequent imposition of martial law in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution. Trump suggested Ukraine ought to hold elections.
Trump also called Zelenskyy “a modestly successful comedian” who “talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle.”
The president went on to say that the only thing Zelenskyy “was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’ ” He advised Zelenskyy to “move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
Meanwhile, Putin said he would like to meet with Trump.
Russia’s army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify by falsely asserting that it was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine He also accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and to offer Moscow security guarantees Ukraine and its allies denounced the assault as an unprovoked act of aggression
“I would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results,” Putin said Wednesday in televised remarks. He added that he would be “pleased” to meet Trump but noted that Trump has acknowledged that a Ukrainian settlement could take longer than he initially hoped.
Pakistan steps up arrests of Afghans without papers
BY MUNIR AHMED Associated Press
ISLAMABAD — Authorities have stepped up arrests of Afghan citizens in Pakistan’s capital and a nearby city in an effort that the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad described on Wednesday as a push to force the expulsion of all Afghan refugees from the country
Pakistan’s foreign ministry promptly dismissed the allegation, saying that the authorities were only trying to facilitate conditions for the swift return of Afghans to their home country
Pakistan has long threatened to deport Afghans living in the country illegally
Separately, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month approved a March 31 deadline to deport those awaiting relocation to third countries unless their cases are swiftly processed by the governments that have agreed to take them, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press. More than 800,000 Afghans have returned home or have been expelled by force from Pakistan since 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency that tracks migra-
tions.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, the Afghan Embassy which represents the Taliban-run government of Afghanistan criticized “the short timeframe” given by the authorities in Islamabad and “the unilateral nature of Pakistan’s decision.”
Afghans in Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi have been subjected to arrests, searches, and orders from police to leave the two cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan, the embassy said.
It further claimed that for all Afghans, “expulsion is imminent” — something the embassy said Pakistani authorities had
Palestinian families flee homes as Israel confronts militants
BY ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press
FAR’A REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank By car and on foot, through muddy olive groves and snipers’ sight lines, tens of thousands of Palestinians in recent weeks have fled Israeli military operations across the northern West Bank — the largest displacement in the occupied territory since the 1967 Mideast war
After announcing a widespread crackdown against West Bank militants on Jan. 21 — just two days after its ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza — Israeli forces descended on the restive city of Jenin, as they have dozens of times since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
But unlike past operations, Israeli forces then pushed deeper and more forcefully into several other nearby towns, including Tulkarem, Far’a and Nur Shams, scattering families and stirring bitter memories of the 1948 war over Israel’s creation.
During that war, 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes in what is now Israel. That Nakba, or “catastrophe,” as Palestinians call it, gave rise to the crowded West Bank towns now under assault and still known as refugee camps.
“This is our nakba,” said Abed Sabagh, 53, who bundled his seven children into the car on Feb 9 as sound bombs blared in Nur Shams camp, where he was born to parents who fled the 1948 war
Humanitarian officials say they haven’t seen such displacement in the West Bank since the 1967 Mideast war, when Israel captured the territory west of the Jordan River, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, displacing another 300,000 Palestinians.
“This is unprecedented When you add to this the destruction of infrastructure, we’re reaching a point where the camps are becoming uninhabitable,”
said Roland Friedrich, director of West Bank affairs for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency More than 40,100 Palestinians have fled their homes in the ongoing military operation, according to the agency Experts say that Israel’s tactics in the West Bank are becoming almost indistinguishable from those deployed in Gaza. Already President Donald Trump’s plan for the mass transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza has emboldened Israel’s farright to renew calls for annexation of the West Bank.
“The idea of ‘cleansing’ the land of Palestinians is more popular today than ever before,” said Yagil Levy, a professor and head of the Institute for the Study of Civil-Military Relations at Israel’s Open University The Israeli army denies issuing evacuation orders in the West Bank. It said troops secure passages for those wanting to leave on their own accord. Over a dozen displaced Palestinians interviewed in the last week said they did not flee their homes out of fear, but on the orders of Israeli security forces. Associated Press journalists in the Nur Shams camp also heard Israeli soldiers shouting through mosque megaphones, ordering people to leave.
Some displaced families said soldiers were polite, knocking on doors and assuring them they could return when the army left. Others said they were ruthless, ransacking rooms, waving rifles and hustling residents out of their homes despite pleas for more time.
“I was sobbing, asking them, ‘Why do you want me to leave my house?’ My baby is upstairs, just let me get my baby please,’ ” Ayat Abdullah, 30, recalled from a shelter for displaced people in the village of Kafr al-Labd “They gave us seven minutes. I brought my children, thank God. Nothing else.”
not communicated to Kabul “ through any formal correspondence.”
More than half a million Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 have been living without papers in Pakistan, thousands of them waiting for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere.
There are also some 1.45 million Afghan refugees, registered with the U.N. refugee agency, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country Last July Pakistan extended the stay of refugees registered with the UNHCR until June 2025, saying they will not be arrested or deported at least until the extension expires.
ASSOcIATeD PreSS PHOTO byAmATTHIAS ScHrADer
From right, U.S. Special envoy Keith Kellogg, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State marco rubio meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the munich Security conference in munich, Germany, on Friday.
ASSOcIATeD PreSS FILe PHOTO byANJUm NAVeeD Afghan refugees hold placards during their meeting to discuss the situation after President Donald Trump paused the U.S refugee programs, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Jan. 24.
Trump seeks control of federal regulators with executive order
BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is moving to give the White House direct control of independent federal regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
The executive order that Trump signed Tuesday gives the president more power to shape the oversight of the financial system and lay out criteria for transportation safety, basic consumer protections and wireless, broadcast, satellite and broadband communications.
It is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to assert greater authority over the government, possibly limiting the spending of congressionally approved funds in ways that could set up lawsuits and lead courts to weigh in.
Past administrations saw public benefit in having regulators that could operate in the long-term interests of the country without the daily machinations of politics. Presidents could exercise informal control by whom they appointed to lead the agencies without necessarily requiring those agencies to submit strategic plans to the White House and lose access to funding initiatives as the order lays out.
But the Trump White House maintains that independent regulators could undermine the president’s agenda and the will of the
voting public.
“For the Federal Government to be truly accountable to the American people, officials who wield vast executive power must be supervised and controlled by the people’s elected President,” said the order signed by Trump.
The move generated criticism that it could ultimately lead to abuses by the Trump administration.
“This action will serve only to politicize and corrupt independent agencies, which will now be subject to the political whims of those in power,” said Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology “For a century, these agencies have been independent for a reason — Congress needs these experts to interpret the laws it passes, and to initiate investigations and enforce those laws without political favoritism.”
Independent agencies go back to 1887 with the cre-
ation of the Interstate Commerce Commission, which initially existed to deal with railroad monopolies and the rates they charged. Multiple other regulators were built on this format and operated through presidential appointments and congressional oversight.
Roger Nober, a professor at George Washington University and director of the GW Regulator Studies Center, called the order “very significant.” The rule goes beyond existing requirements that regulations with an economic impact of more than $100 million or more go through a review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.
“The intent of this is to significantly scale back the independence of independent regulatory agencies,” said Nober, who was previously chair of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, an independent regulator, during George W. Bush’s presidency
Senators ask Trump’s Labor Department nominee where her allegiance would lie
BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press
NEW YORK Members of a Senate committee grilled Labor Secretary-designate Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Wednesday about her past support of pro-union legislation, her position on raising the federal minimum wage and her willingness to disagree with President Donald Trump.
Democrats sought assurances during the nominee’s confirmation hearing that Chavez-DeRemer would protect private data held by the Department of Labor Republican members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions asked if she still backed a bill that would have made it easier for workers to unionize.
Union leaders have described Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican member of Congress from Oregon and former mayor of a small city on the edge of liberal-leaning Portland, as a friend of organized labor. But workers’ rights advocates question if she would be able to uphold that reputation in an administration that has fired thousands of federal employees.
“We are moving toward an authoritarian society where one person has enormous power Will you have the courage to say ‘Mr President, that’s unconstitutional, that’s wrong?’” Vermont independent Bernie Sanders asked in his opening remarks.
The tension between the relatively pro-union record from her one term as a congresswoman and the current White House priorities had Chavez-DeRemer walking a fine line during the hearing, sometimes repeating answers or deflecting by saying she’s not a lawyer and no longer serves as a House lawmaker Appealing to both sides, she said she recognized the $7.25 an hour minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2009, but added, “What we don’t want to do is shock the economy.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy a Republican from Louisiana who
chairs the committee, said the Trump administration had an opportunity to enact a pro-American agenda. He said business owners were concerned about ChavezDeRemer’s past support in Congress of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
During her opening statement, Chavez-DeRemer described the proposed law as “imperfect.” When Cassidy asked her if she still supported it, she declined to give a yes or no answer
“I do not believe the secretary of labor should write the laws. It would be up to Congress to write the law,” she said.
She later said she supports states’ “right to work” laws, which allow employees to refuse to join a union in their workplace. A provision of the PRO Act sought to overturn such laws.
Sanders, the committee’s ranking member, asked Chavez-DeRemer if she would be a rubber stamp for the administration or stand with workers.
“If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump’s policy vision,”
Chavez-DeRemer said. “And my guiding principle will be President Trump’s guiding principle — ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions and, most importantly, the American worker.”
Some political observers surmised that Trump picked Chavez-DeRemer to be his labor secretary as a way to appeal to voters who are members of or affiliated with labor organizations.
If confirmed, ChavezDeRemer would be in charge of the Department of Labor’s nearly 16,000 full-time employees and a proposed budget of $13.9 billion in fiscal year 2025. She would set priorities that impact workers’ wages, ability to unionize, and health and safety as well as employers’ rights to fire employees.
But it’s unclear how much power she would be able to wield as Trump’s Cabinet moves to slash U.S. government spending and the size of the federal workforce
During his first month in office, the president froze trillions of dollars in federal funding and offered buyouts to most federal workers.
Notice is hereby givenpursuanttoArticle 7, Section 23(C) of theLouisiana Constitution and La.R.S.47:1705(B) thata public hearing of theBoardofCommissioners of Stonebridge NeighborhoodImprovementandBeautification District will be held at its regular meeting place, theStonebridgeGolfClub of NewOrleans, 1500 StonebridgeDr.,Gretna,LA70056 on Tuesday, March25, 2025 at 6:00p.m.toconsider levying additional or increasedmillage rates withoutfurther voterapproval or adopting the adjustedmillageratesafter reassessment and rolling forwardto ratesnot to exceed theprior year’s maximum.The estimatedamountoftax revenues to be collected in thenextyear from theincreasedmillage is $1,056,616.74, and the amount of increase in taxesattributable to the millageincrease is $15,497.05.
Immediately,following thepublic hearing,a public meeting of StonebridgeNeighborhood Improvementand Beautification District will be held withthe following agenda being considered: (1) Vote to adopt adjusted millage rate of 44.340 mills; (2)Votetoset forththe adjusted millagerate of 44.340 millsand roll forwardto 45 millsnot exceeding themaximum authorized rate of 45 mills.
Trump throws Senate GOP budget bill in turmoil
BY LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON No sooner had Senate Republicans voted to begin work on $340 billion budget bill focused on funding the White House’s mass deportations and border security agenda than President Donald Trump threw it into turmoil.
Trump on Wednesday criticized the approach from the Senate Budget Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and sided with the House GOP’s broader, if politically difficult, plan that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and other priorities. Senators wanted to address those later, in a second package.
Vice President JD Vance was on his way to Capitol Hill to confer privately with Republican senators.
“Unlike the Lindsey Graham version of the very important Legislation currently being discussed, the House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” Trump posted on social media.
Trump wants the House’s version passed as a way to “kickstart” the process and “move all of our priorities to the concept of, ‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.’”
The Senate’s Republican leadership is scrambling after being blindsided by the post.
“As they say, I did not see that one coming,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Thune had engineered the two-bill approach as a way to deliver an early victory for the White House and had pushed the Senate forward while the House is away on recess this week, saying it was time to act. Thune was meeting privately in his of-
fice with Graham.
“We’re planning to proceed, but obviously we are interested in, and hoping to hear with more clarity where the White House is coming from,” Thune said.
The sudden turn of events means more upheaval in the difficult budget process.
Republicans have majority control of the House and Senate, but face big hurdles in trying to put the president’s agenda into law as Democrats prepare to counter the onslaught of actions from the White House.
Late Tuesday, Republicans had pushed ahead on the scaled-back budget bill, on a party-line vote, 50-47, in what was supposed to be the first step in unlocking Trump’s campaign promises — tax cuts, energy production and border controls and dominating the agenda on Capitol Hill.
But it also comes as the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency effort is slashing costs across government departments, leaving a trail of fired federal workers and dismantling programs on which many Americans depend. Democrats, having floundered amid the initial upheaval coming from the White House, have emerged galvanized as they try to warn the public about what is at stake.
“These bills that they have have one purpose — and that is they’re trying to give a tax break to their billionaire buddies and have you, the average American person, pay for it,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York told The Associated Press. Schumer convened a private call over the weekend with Democratic senators and agreed on a strategy to challenge Republicans for prioritizing tax cuts that primarily flow to the
wealthy at the expense of program and service reductions in health care, scientific research, veterans services and elsewhere.
“This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight,” Schumer said. The Senate’s budget process begins this week, with an initial 50 hours of debate followed by an expected all-night session with lots of attempts to amend the package.
The Republican package would allow $175 billion to be spent on border security, including money for mass deportation operations and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in addition to a $150 billion boost to the Pentagon and $20 billion for the Coast Guard.
Republicans are determined to push ahead after Trump border czar Tom Homan and top aide Stephen Miller told senators privately last week that they are running short of cash to accomplish the president’s immigration priorities.
Trump met with Republican senators last month, expressing no preference for one bill or two, but just that Congress “get the result.”
The Senate Budget Committee said its package would cost about $85.5 billion a year, for four years of Trump’s presidency, paid for with new reductions and revenues elsewhere that other committees will draw up. Eyeing ways to pay for it, Republican senators are considering a rollback of the Biden administration’s methane emissions fee, which was approved by Democrats as part of climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act, and hoping to draw new revenue from energy leases as they aim to spur domestic energy production.
aim to raise awareness &foster community by connectingrarefamilies, offeringeducational
Friday,Feb.28 from 3:00 -6:00 pm
ASSOcIATeD PreSS PHOTO
President Donald Trump speaks at mar-a-Lago in Palm beach, Fla., on Tuesday.
Chavez-DeRemer
Adding to the delays have been disagreements about what should go on the site, which is beyond the Orleans Parish floodwall and is accessible by a single road that leads to a marina, boathouses, boat-repair businesses and other establishments catering to recreational sailing.
Last summer, state lawmakers passed a bill by state Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-Metairie, making it easier for the city to move forward with finding a developer
This week’s meetings are the first step in that process Council member Joe Giarrusso, who represents the area and has worked on the project for years, said at the meeting he is sympathetic to the park’s nearest neighbors. But he said the broader community there supports redeveloping the corner of the park in a tasteful, low-key way with restaurants and small shops.
“As someone who represents the area and lives in Lakeview, too, I am not a passive observer,” he said. “I know that people yearn for not only the nostalgia but also to have more places to recreate. This is not something new that has never been commercial area.”
Long abandoned
For generations of New Orleanians, West End Park was a popular hub of restaurants and bars that
MORENO
continued from page 1A
before they decide to get into this race.”
Renee Lapeyrolerie, Moreno’s campaign manager, said Moreno’s team is most proud of the dozens of small donations it received from “New Orleanians across the map.”
“(The money) comes from citizens united in wanting a better future for our beloved city, not just those seeking business with City Hall,” Lapeyrolerie said in a statement.
Thomas hires staff Moreno remains the only announced mayoral candidate She unveiled her candidacy in December after filing campaign documents months earlier stating that she planned to seek the seat
LEWIS
continued from page 1A
to a picture of Robert F. Kennedy Jr President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Major upgrade in the @ HHSgov Secretary department,” Landry posted. “Lots of work to be done, and excited for @RobertKennedyJr to get started. Let’s Make America Healthy Again!” Lewis fired back: “This tweet shows that conservatism right now is only about cruelty and chaos. They will find away to be cruel to someone just bc they can.” He continued: “What a completely (sic) asshole you are, @LAGovJeffLandry.” Levine is a transgender woman, and critics accused Landry of mocking her because of her gender identity After the tweet, PSC board chair Mike Francis added an item to the commission’s Wednesday agenda to replace Lewis with Skrmetta. Like the chair, the vice chair is elected by the commission’s members. He or she presides over PSC meetings when the chair
included family-friendly eateries like Bruning’s and Fitzgerald’s, as well as nightclubs like Augie’s Del Lago and Jaeger’s.
Much of their allure was due to their location and construction, with dining rooms and bars resting high on pilings out over the water
which was hired last year to do a market study, presented findings that show the area has “unmet spending potential” for entertainment recreation and food and beverage uses and a growing middle-to-upper income population that has increased 36% since 2010 — three times faster than the city overall.
Given those findings, the report said, future development should position the site as a waterfront destination with specialty retailers, restaurants and, perhaps, an entertainment or event venue.
Hilferty and Giarrusso said the state and the city hope to create an economic development district that would dedicate sales taxes generated by businesses at the site to paying for maintenance and upkeep.
“It is easy to say we should take care of green space, but that generates no money,” Giarrusso said. “I’m always trying to find the right way of doing something.”
But residents voiced concerns about parking, traffic and amplified noise from late-night establishments.
But Hurricane Katrina laid waste to the area, and though the pilings are still visible, they are unusable. The Army Corps of Engineers has forbidden any structure to be built on them so as not to interfere with the operation of the adjacent 17th Street Canal pump station.
Both Thomas and Moreno are Democrats, consistent with New Orleans’ tradition of liberal political leadership and its 364,000 residents’ largely blue voting record. Current Mayor LaToya Cantrell, also a Democrat, is term-limited and set to leave office in January 2026.
Thomas acknowledged Wednesday it was “no secret” he’s been considering running for mayor He said in a statement he was proud of the number of donations he’d received from small and minorityowned businesses and added that a bulk of his support came from within New Orleans.
“This shows that I am truly powered by the community I serve,” he said.
Thomas has said he will decide whether to run by Mardi Gras. Ethics filings identify his campaign chairman as Ethan Ashley, a former Orleans Parish School Board member Thomas also hired com-
For most of the past 19 years, the site has served as a staging area for construction crews working on the pump station, and, more recently, on road repairs and a new
munications consultant Kristine Breithaupt, who was spokesperson for Cantrell’s political action committee and Cantrell’s second-term mayoral campaign. She also has worked for U.S. Rep. Troy Carter D-New Orleans, among other politicians.
Breithaupt confirmed Wednesday that she was working for Thomas but declined to say which office he plans to run for Chervenak, the UNO political scientist, said Thomas’ fundraising totals were solid and cautioned political watchers against reading too much into Moreno’s fundraising lead at this early stage.
“Oliver’s doing fairly well for someone who hasn’t announced,” Chervenak said “It’s a sign that there’s support out there for him.”
Before he decided against a run, Duplessis spent $42,000 on focus groups about the mayor’s race and
city-owned marina nearby Now, those projects are completed and the Municipal Yacht Harbor Management Corp., the city agency that manages the site, is ready to do something with the property
Finding a balance?
At Tuesday’s meetings, consultants with HR&A Advisors,
municipal issues, according to his finance report. Silas Lee, a veteran local pollster, performed the service.
Former Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter reported having $680 in his campaign account this week. Hunter has said he is considering running. Ricky Twiggs, a politically independent licensed counselor, has begun campaigning and is soliciting donations on his website but did not file a finance report this week.
Campaign history
Moreno began quietly hiring a campaign staff and waging an aggressive fundraising push last summer She ended 2024 having raised more than eight times the $98,000 her campaign for council brought in during the prior year, records show Six months before the Oct. 11
“K&B’s not coming back, and West End Park isn’t what it used to be when I was growing up,” said Rick Sinclair “We now have 150 residents who live out there now We don’t need more junk restaurants, and no one is
election, she has more cash in her campaign account than either Cantrell or Mitch Landrieu, the city’s two most recent mayors, at comparable points before their first-term elections.
In February of 2017, Cantrell reported that she’d raised just shy of $100,000 the prior year Landrieu raised $515,000 in 2009 as he prepped for a mayoral run while serving as lieutenant governor, according to campaign documents.
A large war chest, however, doesn’t always equal a victory Cantrell’s opponent, former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet, raised about $1.3 million before the primary in 2017. Cantrell had raised about $618,000 by that point but defeated Charbonnet in a runoff with 60% of the vote. The mayor brought in $745,000 during the general election that year
LSU President William
is absent, managing public comment, calling votes on agenda items and otherwise overseeing proceedings.
During the public comment, a string of speakers urged the commission not to remove Lewis from the position, arguing it would violate his right to free speech
“I am not his mama And Mr Chairman, you are not his daddy,” said Melissa Flournoy, a former state legislator and chair of the advocacy group 10,000 Women Louisiana. “If you have an issue, you need to address it in a professional manner with Mr Lewis on a professional basis.”
Some speakers suggested that Landry had pushed the commission to punish Lewis, something Francis denied.
“I haven’t spoken to Gov Landry since the election,” he said. “This is a decision that I felt like I had to make as chairman.” Francis, Skrmetta and Commissioner Jean-Paul P. Coussan voted for the change. Lewis and Commissioner Foster Campbell voted against it. Campbell said it would be unfair to punish Lewis because others had taken inappropriate actions as well He said he recalled one time when he was giving a speech
and Francis, who was in the crowd, held up a sign saying “Bulls***.”
“I don’t think anybody needs to be preaching today,” Campbell said.
Before the vote, Lewis refused to apologize, saying Francis had allowed others to be rude to him during public meetings in the past.
“I’m not going to sit here and hold myself to a standard that you won’t hold yourself to,” he said. “I guess if you’re young, if you’re Black, if you’re outspoken, you gotta do whatever the White man tells you to do.”
After the meeting, Lewis posted on X a screenshot of a text message exchange in which he said Francis himself called him an asshole.
The PSC’s move follows a controversy at LSU over the past month regarding a law school professor who was removed from the classroom after using vulgar language to criticize Landry Professor Ken Levy was recorded saying “f*** the governor” and “I can’t believe that f***** won” about the election of President Donald Trump LSU suspended him, saying it had received comments from students that the comments were inappropriate and in-
timidating. Levy sued LSU, arguing the university had violated his rights to free speech and due process. LSU argued Levy violated its rules for
professional conduct by professors. After a seesaw legal battle, an appeals court allowed LSU to keep Levy out of the classroom while his case plays out.
Tate testified from the
that it was his decision to suspend Levy, and said he “never talked to the governor” about it.
F.
stand
On one hand, some executives who agreed to discuss Trump’s moves said they welcomed his commitment to loosening federal regulations and lowering taxes, which they believe will benefit their companies and the economy On the other, they said they are concerned about the threat of widespread tariffs and the impact that upending global trading networks will have on the supply chain and inflation.
“Business leaders look for stability and we lack stability today,” said longtime Republican Dennis Stine, CEO of Sulfur-based Stine Lumber, which sells building materials to wholesale and retail customers. “We’re going to have chaos for four years, and we just have to prepare for that.”
Trump’s most ardent supporters in the state say it’s too soon to tell how it will all shake out and they are cautioning fellow executives, many of whom voted for Trump, to withhold judgment, for now
“There will be some pain before the reward. Not everyone will be happy,” said Boysie Bollinger, the former CEO of Bollinger Shipyards and one of Trump’s biggest GOP donors in the state “The question is, where do we end up?”
Among Louisiana and national business leaders, the greatest concern for now is centered on Trump’s threats to impose widespread tariffs. In late January, the president announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Since then, however, he has threatened reciprocal tariffs on every American trading partner in the world.
Many economists have said the move could drive up inflation. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has been broadly supportive of much of Trump’s economic agenda, has also come out against moves that could ig-
openly criticize the new administration in a politically charged climate, they are working behind the scenes to let congressional leaders know that killing major projects midstream will hurt voters in their districts back home.
Tim Barfield, whose Baton Rouge infrastructure consulting firm CSRS represents international investors trying to develop clean energy projects in Louisiana, said some of his clients have yet to make final investment decisions because they are concerned about changes to regulations and future funding.
forward with expansions and new construction.
“People were anticipating that less regulation would unleash business activity,” Schneckenberger said.
“With all the uncertainty over tariffs, the less inclined people are to make longterm investments.”
nite a trade war warning it will “raise prices for American families and upend American supply chains.”
Laitram CEO Jay Lapeyre, whose Harahan-based manufacturing company does business around the globe, said it’s “inevitable that the arms race in tariffs will not go well,” and predicted that if Trump goes through with the tariffs as threatened, it will be harder for Laitram to get some of the components it uses in its factories.
“If you impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, you may create a few jobs in those industries,” said Lapeyre, a free trade advocate.
“But it is going to be tiny relative to the incremental cost for any business looking to invest here.”
Others are not completely opposed to tariffs but are concerned they could be imposed too broadly Civic leader Gregory Rusovich, who ran Transocean Shipping until selling the company to Kuwaiti-based PWC in 2005, said he supports tariffs that are targeted on adversaries “for national security purposes,” though he doesn’t like them imposed across the board
Stephen Toups, CEO of Baton Rouge-based Turner Industries, a $3 billion industrial services company, said if tariffs are broadly imposed it’s almost inevitable that they will drive up prices and impact new investment in the state and beyond
“I keep hearing about all these deals being put on hold,” said Toups, who did not know of any specific projects that have been paused. “If someone puts a huge tariff on a particular item, that has got to factor into the conversation about whether a plant gets built or not.”
In a state where the energy sector generates more than $54 billion annually executives are also paying close attention to the future of Trump’s energy policy, particularly the rollback of funding for renewable energy projects
$45 billion in clean energy over the past five years solar farms, EV battery plants, carbon capture facilities and cleaner burning hydrogen and ammonia plants. The state has also established itself as hub for the infrastructure that supports offshore wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean.
Now some of those projects are in peril.
“I think it is serious if they start paralyzing payments that have already been approved because people have made investment decisions based on that,” said Chris Kinsey CEO of Kinsey Interests, a Shreveport holding company that develops and invests in energy infrastructure.
Lobbyists who represent business interests in Washington say while corporate executives are careful not to
“But the comfort I have gotten is that a lot of these clean energy projects benefit red states, so maybe they’re safe,” Barfield said.
For now, the uncertainty is what has business executives most on edge. Hancock
Whitney Senior Regional President Robert Schneckenberger said he’s hearing from clients every day who are unsure whether to move
The result will be a slow down in activity that will impact local companies, some predict. Harvey Gulf Marine CEO Shane Guidry, a Trump supporter and close adviser of Republican Gov Jeff Landry said he’s hearing that large companies will “sit back” for much of this year and have their capital ready to deploy when they have a better picture of the global economic outlook
“I am concerned this year will be a little challenging,” said Guidry, whose 42-vessel fleet supports oil and gas companies around the world. “Things were looking good. Now people are going to wait and see.”
While business leaders have very real concerns
about some of the changes they’ve seen, several applauded Trump’s promise to lower taxes and his early orders green-lighting liquefied natural gas projects, several of which are in development off the coast of Louisiana. And while some deals are on hold, others may get fasttracked, due to a sense of urgency created from the chaos in Washington. CSRS is working with a company that manufactures EV batteries and was considering an investment in the U.S. because of incentives under the Biden administration.
Landis Construction CEO Anne Teague Landis said construction projects that are partially funded with federal money or incentives are also in a rush to break ground because of the uncertainty, which is a good problem in the short run.
“That comes with the caveat of assuming they can get the federal money in hand sooner rather than later,” she said.
Barnes & Noble to open in Towne Center
Barnes & Noble has signed a lease to open a bookstore in Towne Center at Cedar Lodge, which will replace its longtime Citiplace location in Baton Rouge.
The chain will take up spaces in Towne Center that had formerly been occupied by Morgan Claire Boutique and Pigtails & Crewcuts, said Doris Volentine, the property manager for the mixed-use center
Volentine said she suspects the store will open by the end of the year
This will be the second store Barnes & Noble has opened locally in the past two years. In July, the chain opened a store in Denham Springs at the Juban Crossing shopping center
The chain has been on a winning streak since 2019, when Barnes & Noble started to focus back on books, by promoting staff recommendations and a selection curated to meet community interests.
Barnes & Noble has operated a store in the Citiplace shopping center for nearly 30 years. But that 34,325-square-foot building is available for sale or lease.
S&P adds to record; Wall Street drifts higher
The S&P 500 added to its record as U.S. stock indexes drifted through a quiet Wednesday on Wall Street.
The S&P 500 rose after setting an all-time high the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite both inched up.
Microsoft was the strongest force pushing the S&P 500 upward. It rose 1.3% after saying it had developed what it calls the world’s first “quantum processing unit,” which could lead to the development of much more powerful computers.
New iPhone costs more than old low-end model
Apple has released a sleeker and more expensive version of its lowest-priced iPhone in an attempt to widen the audience for a bundle of artificial intelligence technology that the company has been hoping will revive demand for its most profitable product lineup.
The iPhone 16e unveiled Wednesday is the fourth generation of a model that’s sold at a dramatically lower price than the iPhone’s standard and premium models. The previous bargain-bin models were called the iPhone SE, with the last version coming out in 2022. Like the higher-priced iPhone 16 lineup unveiled last September the iPhone 16e includes the souped-up computer chip needed to process an array of AI features that automatically summarize text, audio and create onthe-fly emojis while smartening up the device’s virtual assistant, Siri. It will also have a more powerful battery and camera.
All those upgrades will translate into a higher starting price for an iPhone 16e at $600, a 40% increase from $430 for the last iPhone SE. But iPhone 16e will be more affordable than the cheapest standard iPhone 16 at $800. The new phone will be available in stores Feb. 28, but can be preordered beginning Friday
Angler advocate moves on
cresson set to become primary voice of La.’s chemical
BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer
The longtime head of one of Louisiana’s premier advocacy organizations for recreational fisheries and coastal conservation will be leaving to become the primary voice of the state’s chemical industry
the Louisiana way of life.”
Cresson, 53, a Metairie native who has lived in Baton Rouge for years, has worked for CCA of Louisiana for 17 years.
manufacturing companies in the state and LCIA represents more than 600 companies that supply products and services to the chemical and manufacturing sector, according to the groups.
industry
acy industries that are culturally and economically important to the state, he pointed out that members of CCA often work in the chemical industry and that industry has helped CCA through the years in its conservation efforts.
David Cresson, who leads the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana, has been named president and chief executive officer of the Louisiana Chemical Association and its sister organization, the Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance, according to the groups.
“LCA and LCIA have a rich history, and these organizations are essential to the success of so many valuable industries in Louisiana,” Cresson said in a statement. “We aim to build on that legacy while identifying new opportunities to promote and advocate for the workforce and businesses that are so critical to our communities and
When Cresson takes the job at LCA on March 24, he will succeed Greg Bowser He has worked at LCA for 34 years and has been its face for nine years as president and CEO. According to an LCA statement, he is expected to stay on through the end of the year to help with the transition.
The fisheries and chemical industry groups are familiar voices at the State Capitol in shaping government policy but have significantly different areas of interest.
CCA has advocated for policies to protect sport fisheries and conserve the state’s coast. Under Cresson’s leadership, the group has promoted reef building, redfish stock enhancement and other conservation efforts, according to the nonprofit. It also successfully advocated in 2023 and 2024 for expanded limits on nearshore commercial fishing of menhaden, a food source for redfish and other sport fish species.
LCA represents 70 chemical
The chemical industry directly employs 29,000 people in Louisiana in high-wage jobs, spurs eight indirect jobs for every job in the industry and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the state treasury and to public schools, sheriff’s offices and other local governments, according to the groups.
Despite this impact, the industry often finds itself at odds with groups focused on conserving the environment and protecting public health due to their members’ pollution impact on air and water
Along with other business organizations, the groups are often enmeshed in tax and other significant state policy decisions because of their widespread reach across the state.
When asked in an interview about leading two organizations as different as the fisheries and industry groups, Cresson said they actually have plenty of overlap.
Saying they both represent leg-
Cresson, who worked on Gov Jeff Landry’s transition team and is no stranger to giving congressional and legislative testimony said he looks forward to meeting with community members, political leaders and others to make the chemical industry’s case.
He added that he believes he will be working in an environment, both at the state and federal level, that is supportive of the business community. He said he plans to take an active role at the Capitol in advocating for the industry
Danny Cedotal, LCA’s board chairman and vice president of Shintech Louisiana, called Cresson “a strong and proven leader,” as LCA officials noted Cresson’s work managing a board of more than 200 members across the state
David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.
Unions seek shipbuilding boost
Labor leaders call on Trump to act against increasing chinese dominance
BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The heads of four major labor unions on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to boost American shipbuilding and enforce tariffs and other “strong penalties” against China for its increasing dominance in that sphere.
The presidents of the United Steelworkers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers argue that China’s efforts have hurt American workers and national security.
In the letter obtained by The Associated Press, they urged Trump to “impose tough penalties against vessels built according to the plans, policies, and actions of the Chinese Communist Party and to adopt complementary policies that rebuild America’s shipbuilding capacity and workforce.”
Last year under President Joe Biden, the unions filed a petition seeking to address China’s shipbuilding under Section 301 of the 1974 U.S. Trade Act, hoping to start a process by which tariffs and other measures could be enacted.
The letter notes China manufactured more than 1,000 oceangoing vessels in 2023, while the United States made fewer than 10 ships. It adds that the Chinese shipbuilding industry received more than $100 billion in government support from 2010 to 2018, such that Chinese shipyards accounted for the majority of worldwide orders last year
“As a shipyard worker myself, out of Bath Iron Works in Maine, I have seen firsthand the crippling impacts of China’s predatory actions on our domestic shipbuilding industry,” Brian Bryant, the machinists and aerospace workers union president, said in a separate statement.
“For decades, we’ve seen everything from
layoffs to shipyard closures to atrophy of our domestic shipbuilding industrial base.
Trump has made control of the Panama Canal and resetting the global terms of trade with tariffs a key priority But many of his concerns have been directed at U.S. allies such as Canada Mexico and the European Union, while he has imposed an additional 10% tariff on imports from China due to its role in making the opioid fentanyl.
The White House has said it is considering all available options to push back against China’s practices in the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.
In January, Trump floated the possibility
of more shipbuilding in an interview with Hugh Hewitt, the conservative radio talk show host.
“We don’t build ships anymore,” Trump said. “We want to get that started And maybe we’ll use allies, also, in terms of building ships. We might have to.”
In a Fox News Channel interview that aired Tuesday night, Trump noted the decline in American shipbuilding and indicated he wanted that to change.
“We don’t build the way we used to build. Yeah, we used to build like a ship a day, and now to build a ship is like a big deal,” he said. “And we’re going to get this country back on track.”
Cresson
STAFF FILe PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
A worker takes part in shipbuilding work at bollinger Shipyard in Lockport
Kennedy says panel to examine childhood vaccine schedule
BY AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press
WASHINGTON To earn the vote he needed to become the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr made a special promise to a U.S. senator: He would not change the nation’s current vaccination schedule.
But on Tuesday, speaking for the first time to thousands of U.S. Health and Human Services agency employees he vowed to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other dangerous diseases.
“Nothing is going to be off-limits,” Kennedy said, adding that pesticides, food additives, microplastics, antidepressants and the electromagnetic waves emitted by cellphones and microwaves also would be studied.
Kennedy’s remarks, which circulated on social media, were delivered during a welcome ceremony for the new health secretary at the agency’s headquarters in Washington as a measles outbreak among mostly unvaccinated people raged in West Texas. The event was held after a weekend of mass firings of thousands of HHS employees. More dismissals are expected
In his comments Tuesday, Kennedy promised
that a new “Make America Healthy Again” commission would investigate vaccines, pesticides and antidepressants to see if they have contributed to a rise in chronic illnesses such as diabetes and obesity that have plagued the American public. The commission was formed last week in an executive order by Donald Trump immediately after Kennedy was sworn in as the president’s new health secretary
That directive said the commission will be made up of cabinet members and other officials from the administration and will develop a strategy around children’s health within the next six months. Kennedy said it will investigate issues, including childhood vaccinations, that “were formally taboo or insufficiently scrutinized.”
While Kennedy did not directly call for changes to the vaccination schedule on Tuesday, his plan to investigate it raises questions about his commitment to Republican Sen Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge physician who harbored deep misgivings over the health secretary’s anti-vaccine advocacy Cassidy ultimately voted to send Kennedy’s nomination to the Senate floor after he said Kennedy gave him assurances that he
would not alter the federal vaccine schedule.
“On this topic, the science is good, the science is credible,” Cassidy said during a Senate floor speech earlier this month explaining his vote. “Vaccines save lives. They are safe.”
Rigorous studies of thousands of people followed by decades of real-world use have proven that the vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration for both children and adults safely and effectively prevent diseases.
Cassidy said during his Senate speech last month that Kennedy had made a number of promises that stemmed from “intense conversations” to garner his support. Specifically, Cassidy said Kennedy would “maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendations without changes.”
Those recommendations are what pediatricians around the country use to decide the safest and most effective ages at which to offer vaccinations to children. The committee meets every year to review the latest data on both old and new vaccines to ensure there are no red flags for safety or other issues before publishing its annual schedule.
EU envoys approve more sanctions against Russia to mark third anniversary of war
BY LORNE COOK Associated Press
BRUSSELS European Union envoys have approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia, with the measures set to enter into force next week on the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a top EU official and diplomats confirmed on Wednesday The move comes with the Europeans sidelined from U.S.-led talks to end the war
The EU has slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia since President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine in Feb. 24, 2022. More than 2,300 of-
ficials and entities — usually government agencies banks and organizations — have been hit.
The diplomats confirmed approval of the sanctions the 16th package of measures including travel bans, asset freezes and trade restrictions — on condition that they not be named The measures are still not entirely finalized until EU foreign ministers endorse them on Monday allowing them to enter force.
Among the latest sanctions are measures targeting Russia’s so-called “ shadow fleet” of ships that it exploits to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or to car-
ry stolen Ukrainian grain. Some 70 vessels believed to be part of the shadow fleet will be added to more than 50 already listed.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose services drafted some of the measures for consideration, welcomed their prospective adoption by the 27-nation bloc’s ambassadors.
“The EU is clamping down even harder on circumvention by targeting more vessels in Putin’s shadow fleet and imposing new import and export bans. We are committed to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin,” she said in a social media post.
Measles outbreak hits New Mexico
BY DEVI SHASTRI and MORGAN LEE Associated Press
The measles outbreak in rural West Texas has grown to 58 cases as of Tuesday and eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed with measles.
New Mexico health department spokesman Robert Nott said Tuesday that the agency hadn’t “identified any direct contact” between cases in its state and cases in Texas.
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Here’s what you should know about how to protect yourself against measles, as well as what’s happening in Texas and New Mexico.
The West Texas cases are concentrated in Gaines County which has 45 infections. Terry County to the north has nine confirmed cases, while Lubbock and Lynn counties have a case each and Yoakum County has two.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said Monday that 13 people are hospitalized with measles.
State health officials say this outbreak is Texas’ largest in nearly 30 years. Health department spokeswoman Lara Anton said last week that cases have been
concentrated in a “closeknit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community — especially among families who attend small private religious schools or are homeschooled.
The New Mexico cases are in Lea County, which borders Gaines County in Texas. The cases include a family of five that’s in isolation, the state health department said Tuesday, but none of those infected have needed to be hospitalized Six people who have measles are not vaccinated, officials said.
New Mexico officials also said people may have been exposed at a grocery store, an elementary school, a church, Nor-Lea Hospital and a Walgreens in Hobbs.
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most kids will recover from the measles if they get it, but infection can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
Is the vaccine safe?
Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw some 3 million to 4 million cases per year Now, it’s usually fewer than 200 in a normal year
There is no link between the vaccine and autism despite a now-discredited study and health disinformation.
Vaccination rates
In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60.
Yes, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing measles infection and severe cases of the disease. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. The vaccine series is required for kids before entering kindergarten in public schools nationwide.
East Coast hit with another storm
BY BEN FINLEY and JOHN RABY Associated Press
NORFOLK, Va The latest in a long line of storms took direct aim at the East Coast on Wednesday, threatening to dump heavy snow and some ice across several states on winter-weary residents
A storm that dropped snow in the Midwest spread across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, bringing more misery to some places just starting to clean up from deadly weekend floods. Up to 10 inches of snow was possible through Thursday night along the Atlantic Coast in Virginia and significant ice accumulations were forecast in eastern North Carolina, the National Weather Service said.
As thick snowflakes pelted Norfolk, Virginia, a line of shoppers snaked deep into a Harris Teeter grocery store, past loaves of bread and almost to the egg cooler In the parking lot of a Total Wine store, college students in fraternity sweatshirts lugged a keg of beer to their car But on the sidewalks of the city’s historic Ghent neighborhood, there was an eerie quiet. A white-haired shih tzu named Sasha tramped delicately in newly fallen snow Wednesday afternoon.
“This is a little weird for her,” said her owner, Lotfi Hamdi, who manages a local grocery store and works as a freelance language interpreter Sasha isn’t alone in feeling out of sorts. The snow forecast for this city of 230,000 people on the Chesapeake Bay isn’t likely to break records. But the winter months sometimes pass with barely a dusting. Schools, universities and many businesses closed Wednesday throughout the Hampton Roads region and could remain shuttered into the weekend The Norfolk Naval Shipyard reduced its operations.
“I love the snow, but it looks like this is a bit too much for us,” said Hamdi, already stocked up on milk and bread. “If it’s more than five inches, I think that’s a bit risky for us. Luckily I’m off for the next couple of days, which is just a beautiful coincidence.”
Virginia State Police reported 53 accidents by late Wednesday morning. Accidents also closed portions
of Interstate 95 and I-85 near Raleigh, North Carolina.
Elsewhere, a polar vortex sent temperatures plunging from Montana to southern Texas The biggest batch of record cold temperatures are expected early Thursday and Friday said weather service meteorologist Andrew Orrison.Virginia remained under a state of emergency that Gov Glenn Youngkin issued for another storm on Feb. 10 that allowed the National Guard and state agencies to assist local governments. North Carolina Gov Josh Stein followed suit with an emergency declaration Tuesday Both governors urged motorists to stay off the roads.
Officials warned residents of eastern North Carolina to brace for potential power outages as snow, sleet and freezing rain arrived with Stein warning “our greatest concerns remain power outages and road safety.”
Potential ice accumulations of up to one-half inch in places like Greenville and Goldsboro would cause tree branches to snap, said North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray Officials said more than 1,200 crew members were clearing roads or getting set with hundreds of trucks.
Weekend storms that pummeled the eastern U.S. killed at least 18 people, including 14 in Kentucky where a half-foot or more of snow was expected starting Wednesday “This is a snowstorm in the mid-
dle of a natural disaster,” Kentucky Gov Andy Beshear said.
In southern West Virginia, weekend floods killed three people in McDowell County, destroying roads and disrupting public water systems. Shelters remained open at churches and schools.
The incoming snowstorm “is going to severely hinder, if not halt, a lot of the efforts that we have,” said McDowell County Commissioner Michael Brooks, adding “we are doing our best to at least keep people warm.”
About 100 million people in the nation’s midsection were gripped by a cold wave, the weather service said. Hundreds of public school districts canceled classes or switched to online learning for a second day Wednesday in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri Ashley Pippin, a spokeswoman for Special Olympics Kansas, is getting tired of the cold even as the group organizes a series of fundraising polar plunges, including three this weekend. It is so cold firefighters might have to go out and break the ice.
“We’ve done it before,” Pippin said. Denver broke a 19-year-old record when it dipped to minus 6. In Kansas City, Missouri, the forecast high Wednesday is 8 degrees, which would break the mark of 11 degrees set in 1929. In San Antonio, Texas, wind chill readings could dip as low as minus 2 early Thursday
BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER and MARIA VERZA Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is formally designating eight Latin American crime organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations,” upping its pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and on anyone aiding them.
The move, carrying out a Jan. 20 executive order by President Donald Trump, names Tren de Aragua in Venezuela, MS-13 in El Salvador and six groups based in Mexico. The designation will be published in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday Trump, a Republican, has made securing the U.S.-Mexico border among his top priorities, vowing to carry out mass deportations, sending active-duty troops to the border and reaching deals with some countries to take in more migrants.
The “foreign terrorist organization” label is unusual because it deploys a terrorist designation normally reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic State group that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels.
The Trump administration argues that the international connections and operations of the groups including drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and violent pushes to extend their territory — warrant the designation.
Critics of the move call it an unnecessarily broad and harsh one that could damage relations and paralyze trade with Latin America. Businesses, banks and buyers could fear possible U.S. prosecution if they knowingly or unknowingly have any transactions that touch the world of the cartels.
Such cartels permeate Mexico’s economy, dealing not only in drug trafficking and migrant smuggling but in fighting for control of the multibillion-dollar avocado business.
Aid groups say some past U.S designations of groups as foreign terrorist organizations have
threatened overall food imports into countries, for example, by making shipping companies fearful that U.S. prosecutors may accuse them of directly or indirectly supporting the targeted groups.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday before the designations were published that “if that decree has to do with extraterritorial actions (in Mexico), those we do not accept.”
But she said Mexico was in agreement on the need to advance joint investigations.
“If they make this decree to investigate even more in the United States the money laundering and the criminal groups that operate in the United States, that carry out those drug sales, it’s very good,” Sheinbaum said “What we do not accept is the violation of our sovereignty.”
Trump over the years has singled out two of the groups MS-13 and Tren de Aragua — in political speeches and other appearances.
U.S. authorities say Tren de Aragua poses a threat in various U.S. cities. Trump and his allies have seized on the gang’s presence and made it the face of the alleged threat posed by migrants. In his first term, Trump similarly pointed to the violent street gang MS-13 as a risk of immigration. But it originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s in communities made up largely of refugees from El Salvador’s civil war and other immigrants, growing to include many U.S. citizens. The gang is known for brutal violence and street-level drug sales.
The six Mexico-based groups designated as terrorist groups include the Sinaloa cartel, Mexico’s oldest criminal group, which traffics drugs, weapons and people. One of Sinaloa’s most lucrative businesses in recent years has been the production of fentanyl, blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. Sinaloa imports the precursor chemicals from China, produces the drug and smuggles it across the border
ASSOcIATeD PreSS PHOTO by JOSHUAA.bIcKeL
Walt Traywick uses an axe to break up frozen water in a stock tank while working on his farm Wednesday in Luther, Okla.
N.O. murder rate falls in January
Downward trend in crime continues despite terror attack
BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer
Even the mass casualties from a vehicle attack on Bourbon Street that kicked off 2025 couldn’t reverse a downward trend in New
Orleans crime, with murder down 16% from the same time last year amid a broader slide in crime across the city, Police Department
Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday
“With all due respect about the tragedy a terrorist attack in any city is a very unique event,” Kirkpatrick said.
The 14 people killed on Jan. 1 died from blunt force trauma when a U.S Army veteran plowed
through reveling crowds in a pickup, she said. Four other people were killed in January, all from gunshot wounds
Excluding the attack, Kirkpatrick said, January killings in the city would have declined a dramatic 72% from 2024, when the city continued a precipitous drop in violent crime that began in 2023. Those reductions brought murders in New Orleans to one of the lowest levels in the past 50 years, a
welcome whipsaw following a historically murderous 2022 in New Orleans. NOPD figures show that overall crime in the city dropped by 23% in 2024. Crimes against persons declined by 29%, while property crimes fell by 22%. Carjackings, which shot up with the pandemic and gripped the city in fear, plummeted by 66%. Nonfatal shootings dropped by more than half.
“We’re right now probably one of
Fire damages tourist attraction
BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, an electrical fire broke out in one of the unfinished exhibits in the future location of the JAMNOLA immersive art attraction on
Frenchmen Street, according to co-developer Jonny Liss. The blaze took place in the gaping jaws of a giant alligator sculpture where visitors will be able to pose for photos. No one was injured.
“In the scheme of things, it could have been a disaster,” Liss
said, standing amid the charred wood, foam rubber and fabric that comprised the artwork.
Luckily, Liss said, the fire marshal had called for a fire extinguishing sprinkler head to be installed in the 10-foot-tall gator’s mouth. That sprinkler, he said, suppressed the fire before it could spread to the rest of the exhibits which are under construction.
New Orleans Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Edwin Holmes said late Wednesday that firefighters responded to 940 Frenchmen St. at 2:44 a.m. and had the flames under control by 3 a.m. Liss estimates that the fire and water from the sprinklers caused $50,000 in damage.
the safest cities in America,” Kirkpatrick said. “That drop is not by accident We’re not following the coattails of a national trend, because if the national trend is 16%, and we are at 72% it’s probably not a trend. It is by intentional strategy.”
According to data that crime analyst Jeff Asher tracks through a Real-Time Crime index, murder
Ex-NOPD chief announces run for sheriff
Woodfork seeks Orleans Parish post, promises ‘integrity’
BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer
Former New Orleans police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork has formally announced her candidacy for Orleans Parish sheriff, promising to bring “integrity” to an agency hobbled by a term of controversy and overcrowding at the jail.
Before a capacity crowd at Dooky Chase Restaurant on Tuesday night, Woodfork said she’d build on her 35 years in law enforcement to help bring the jail into compliance with its decadeold consent decree. She also appeared to reference Sheriff Susan Hutson’s rocky first tenure that has included accusations of mismanagement and misspending of public money though she didn’t mention Hutson by name.
“I will bring integrity let me say that again — I will bring integrity and leadership in managing the Sheriff’s Office,” Woodfork said to applause. Mariah Moore, Hutson’s campaign manager, said Hutson has improved transparency around the Sheriff’s Office public spending and overhauled its internal investigations team.
Security rules planned for Gallier Hall
measures in force through carnival season
BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer
BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer
Paradegoers planning to toast the kings and queens of Carnival at Gallier Hall this year must bring clear bags and pass
through metal detectors under new Mardi Gras security measures enacted after the Bourbon Street attack on New Year’s Day
The rules will be enforced from Feb. 20 through March 4, city officials said Wednesday, after the Jan. 1 vehicle attack left 14 people dead and dozens more wounded.
“The City of New Orleans remains committed to prioritizing public safety while maintain-
ing an enjoyable experience for all,” officials with Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration said in a statement. Only clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches will be allowed at Gallier Hall on St Charles Avenue. Clear backpacks and fanny packs are not allowed.
Small clutch bags no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches are allowed, however Guests must
also pass through a metal detector for entry
During Carnival, the mayor and other public employees, officials and invited guests often gather at Gallier to toast Carnival royalty and watch parades as they roll The directive did not appear to apply to adjacent parade viewing stands, which are open for a fee to the general
BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer
No one injured in Frenchmen Street blaze
STAFF PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
Fire damage, top left, can be seen around the mouth of an alligator art installation at the new JAmNOLA after an early morning blaze resulted in some minor damage to the exhibit area on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans on Wednesday. crews help pick up debris and sweep away the water after the New Orleans Fire Department quickly contained the fire.
SECURITY, page 3B
See WOODFORK, page 2B
CRIME, page 3B
helping lower the city’s crime rates. Woodfork was the NOPD’s interim superintendent for eight months between 2022 and 2023.
She also noted that Woodfork has minimal experience with the Sheriff’s Office, other than a stint Woodfork held as a deputy in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Woodfork, Moore said, “is grasping for straws because she doesn’t have her own accomplishments to stand on.” The jail has battled issues of overcrowding and violence. Several of Hutson’s top administrators have resigned or been dismissed, including a former chief financial officer who accused her of retaliation The New Orleans Office of Inspector General published reports critical of her spending of public money Among Woodfork’s supporters Thursday she was flanked by Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, who praised Woodfork’s work in
Woodfork joins the field in what’s expected to be an unusually competitive sheriff’s race. Edwin Shorty, constable for the 2nd City Court in Orleans Parish, is in. Asked on Thursday if he’s running, former longtime Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman said he’s “seriously considering” it. It’s difficult in Louisiana to unseat sheriffs, who hold among the most visible positions in law enforcement and have broad authority to dismiss underlings who may wish to challenge them.
In a major upset in 2021, Hutson, NOPD’s former independent police monitor, defeated Gusman, who held office for 18 years. Hutson centered her campaign around her opposition to an addition to the jail that
would add around 90 beds for its most severely ill inmates. The so-called Phase III project has the support of federal monitors and attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the consent decree. However, Hutson and a chorus of critics including some members of the New Orleans City Council — have complained about the project’s costs and expressed concerns that building a bigger jail will cause a spike in incarceration rates.
A federal judge ultimately approved construction, which city officials said is almost halfway done. The project’s completion is estimated for May 2026. Woodfork gave her first indication Thursday that she supports the project. “We actually need it,” she said.
Decades of inadequate care for mentally ill inmates was chief among the reasons that the federal consent decree was ordered.
continued from page 1b
Royal
in the Marigny Many of the displays were intended as backdrops for cellphone self-portraits. In October 2023, Liss announced that the attraction would eventually move to a 13,000-squarefoot building the former Alois J. Binder bakery on Frenchmen Street — just blocks from the street’s popular strip of nightclubs and restaurants. The new location would include a revamped maze of exhibits plus a restaurant and gift shop.
The original JAMNOLA remains open, but will close when the new space is complete.
Liss said he’d purchased the long-unused bakery for $2 million and planned to spend $3 million more on the renovation and artwork. At this point, he expects to go over budget. He had hoped to open the attraction in time to entertain Super Bowl visitors in early February, but construction complications delayed the debut. Now, he said, he’s aiming for a March opening date. Liss is no stranger to delays. The opening of the original JAMNOLA location was postponed by four months by the COVID-19 shutdown and the need to redesign the exhibits to make them touch-free.
Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@ theadvocate. com. Follow him on Instagram at dougmaccash, on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash.
PHOTO PrOVIDeD
michelle Woodfork, the former interim superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, announces her run for Orleans Parish sheriff on Tuesday.
STAFF PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
cat Todd, center co-founder and creative director at Where y’Art Works, walks through a display checking for any possible damage
to art installations from an early morning fire at JAmNOLA’s new location in New Orleans on Frenchmen Street on Wednesday.
Police: Woman led troopers on chase
Officials say suspect has a history of violent crime allegations
BY GABRIELLA KILLETT Staff writer
Authorities have arrested a woman with a history of violent crime allegations after police say she led them on a chase in West Lake Forest on Monday according to documents filed in Criminal District Court
Byrielle Hebert, 23, was booked into the Orleans Justice Center on Monday afternoon on a count of fleeing from officers as well as additional gun and drug charges, according to court records.
Hebert was on probation at the time of the alleged offense after
SECURITY
continued from page 1b
public.
“Attendees are encouraged to plan accordingly and adhere to these guidelines to expedite security screenings,” city officials said A heavy police presence and street closures are expected along and near parade routes starting Friday, when Carnival parades are set to get into full swing.
The state is sending the Louisiana National Guard, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents and state probation and parole officers to the city through Mardi Gras, under an emergency order Gov Jeff Landry issued after the Bourbon Street attack.
The federal government has also newly designated Mardi Gras a Level One Special Event Assessment Rating, which will drive federal aid to the city, too.
That includes air patrols, cybersecurity checks and tactical response teams. Bomb-sniffing dogs, drones, fire and explosives investigators, and engineers will also be on-hand, officials familiar with those plans have said.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Of-
BINGHAM
continued from page 1b
manslaughter in November
At the time of his indictment, Bingham was serving a four-year sentence with the Department of Corrections, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Casey McGee. He had pleaded guilty to intentional concealment of a weapon and first-degree robbery on March 12, 2024. In that case, Bingham, who is homeless, had demanded a man’s vehicle at the intersection of Calliope and Tchoupitoulas streets in Jan. 2023, only to abandon it shortly afterwards, according to police.
On March 25, 2024, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office transferred Bingham to
FRANK
continued from page 1b
being convicted of criminal conspiracy of obstruction, simple burglary, theft and illegal possession of stolen things in June of 2023 Her conviction prohibited her from possessing firearms.
On Feb. 17, Louisiana State Police troopers tried to stop Hebert after her white Infiniti Q50 failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign near Crowder and Lake Forest boulevards.
Hebert allegedly refused to stop, leading authorities on a chase She then drove through neighborhoods at 90 mph, running another stop sign. She finally crashed into a utility pole and fled on foot, according to court records.
Police arrested Hebert and found a handgun and marijuana inside of the vehicle she was driving. Hebert denied owning the firearm, which
was found under the vehicle’s front seat, so troopers requested a DNA sample be taken from the weapon. The results of that test weren’t made immediately available.
Hebert told police she didn’t know they had been trying to pull her over Hebert has been arrested in connection with two shootings, one of which left a Mid-City woman dead.
Police say Hebert and two others were burglarizing cars on Cleveland Avenue in May 2019 when residents Zelda and Danny Townsend came outside of their home to find a teenage boy inside their SUV
As Danny Townsend tried to hold the vehicle’s door closed, someone inside fired a weapon, killing Zelda Townsend and injuring her husband, police have said.
Hebert and two others, Emanuel Pipkins and Alvin Robinson, were
arrested, though Pipkins has since been identified as the alleged shooter and the District Attorney’s Office refused to charge Hebert. That same month, Hebert and Pipkins were also accused of firing at two people who tried to stop them from burglarizing a vehicle in Lakeview
After being released on bail in 2022, Hebert allegedly cut her ankle monitor off and was returned to jail. Hebert was later booked on a count of sexual battery for allegedly entering another inmate’s call and assaulting her as other inmates stripped the victim and held her down.
Hebert is held at the Orleans Justice Center on a $207,000 bail.
Email Gabriella Killett at gkillett@theadvocate.com.
fice will be joined by other local law enforcement agencies to pa-
CRIME
state custody at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, McGee said. Eight months into his sentence, he was indicted for manslaughter in the naval base homicide.
Kennedy said he’s confident that Bingham will eventually appear in court to clear his name.
“If he had any intent on flight, he had the perfect opportunity,” Kennedy said. “He was released from the Department of Corrections. No one knew; no one was going to be informed of that He could have gone anywhere in the world before anyone noticed. And he didn’t,” Kennedy said. “What he did was call his defense attorney, and he will declare himself not guilty, and we will work to prove that.”
“one of the handful of cases where they’ve exhausted all of their postconviction relief and we can set the date.”
A spokesperson said the attorney general maintains that “four to five” condemned prisoners are eligible to be executed, with Gov Jeff Landry recently announcing that the state had established a protocol for the newly approved method of execution by nitrogen gas. But that list doesn’t include Frank.
District Attorney Jason Williams, who must ask a judge for an execution warrant, pointed to the court record, saying in a statement that he couldn’t seek a death warrant for Frank.
“Since her initial conviction and death sentence, Antoinette Frank’s defense counsel has exercised the right to challenge the sentence against her Section D of Criminal District Court is now reviewing Frank’s application for post-conviction relief and has not yet ruled,” the statement read. “There can be no effort to proceed with an execution of Ms. Frank during post-conviction review by the court.”
A hearing has been set for March 31, 2025, on Frank’s post-conviction application.
Lester Duhe, a spokesperson for Murrill’s office, acknowledged Wednesday that Frank “has to have exhausted all her appeals before”
she can be killed.
continued from page 1b
dropped 16% nationwide last year
Asher said that New Orleans, along with perennial murder capitals such as Philadelphia and Baltimore, are seeing similarly massive declines in gun violence.
Asher cautioned against “spiking the football” in early spring over the gains. He pointed to the historic snowstorm on Jan. 21 that all but shut down New Orleans and put crime on ice. January also saw a surge of state and federal law enforcement after the Jan 1 attack and leading up to Super Bowl week.
“Overall, the trends have
The four inmates who Murrill has said are eligible for execution include Christopher Sepulvado, of DeSoto Parish; Jessie Hoffman, of St Tammany Parish; Larry Roy of Rapides Parish; and Darrell Robinson, also of Rapides.
Louisiana judges recently ordered execution dates that remain in effect for Hoffman and Sepulvado.
Sepulvado, death row’s oldest prisoner at 81, was ordered executed on March 17. Hoffman was ordered to be killed the following day Attempts to reach officials with the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections this week about their preparations under the recent orders have been unsuccessful.
In Sepulvado’s case, his attorneys say he’s taken a turn for the worse and has been recommended for palliative care.
In the meantime, civil attorneys for Sepulvado, Hoffman and others are appealing to a federal judge in Baton Rouge to revive a long-running lawsuit about death row practices in Louisiana. They say their clients have not been provided execution protocols.
Murrill has named two other condemned men, both from Rapides Parish, that she has maintained are also eligible.
But a state judge revoked the death warrant he’d signed for Roy, after his attorneys argued he had not yet completed the legal process. The judge then declined a second attempt by District Attorney Phil-
New Orleans Area Deaths
Alverez Jr.,Albert Bartholomew, William Bonura,Anthony Cascio, Nicholas Clark, Maurice Daniels, William Ducre, Ida Fontenot, Eugene Fulton, Thesma Gaines, Gloria Gros Jr., Jessie Haley, Charles Jackson, Carolyn Jacobs-Carrere, Charmaine James, Cornelius Johnson, Shelia Johnson Jr., Richard Lumar Jr., Claudel Mackie, Barbara Moore, Belle Oliver, Elma Ricard, Edna Richardson Sr., Hayes Thomas Jr., Louis Virgil, Clarence Warning, John Winterstein, Ethel E Jefferson
been great and continue to be great through January,” Asher said. “But one month of data is not very much, and to understand a crime trend over a year, you need to wait for a month that ends in R.”
Nevertheless, Kirkpatrick credited NOPD officers and local, state and federal partners for targeting the most violent offenders for arrest, or to quell retaliation. Kirkpatrick pointed to nationally renowned Ceasefire strategy, which offers those people support and a viable path out of the criminal justice system.
“We know who commits the crimes,” Kirkpatrick said. “We focus on the few who commit 80% of the crimes.”
Strategic deployment
lip Terrell to secure an execution warrant for Roy Roy’s attorneys are asking 9th Judicial District Judge Chris Hazel to reaffirm the prisoner’s right to be heard on his long-dormant post-conviction claims before he’s executed. Hazel has set a hearing date for April 14.
The other condemned man from Rapides Parish, Robinson, won a reprieve last year from the Louisiana Supreme Court, only for the court to reverse itself in December That case remains pending a request for another rehearing at the state Supreme Court.
Court records do not show a request from Terrell for an execution warrant for Robinson. Terrell did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday Frank was a New Orleans police officer when she killed Cuong Vu 17, and Ha Vu, 24, two members of a Vietnamese-American family during an armed robbery inside their restaurant in New Orleans East. Frank’s fellow 7th District officer and one-time partner, Ronald Williams II, also was gunned down in the melee.
Frank’s co-defendant, Rogers Lacaze, was removed from death row and resentenced to life without parole after a legal fight, in an agreement with Leon Cannizzaro, the former Orleans Parish district attorney who now works for Murrill. In her most recent plea for relief, Frank argues that years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of
of a slimmed-down police force that now hovers at 900 commissioned officers has led to decreased response times as well.
In the sprawling 7th District, which encompasses New Orleans East and where 911 emergency response times historically have skyrocketed, there were 44,012 fewer calls for service last year than in 2021, when violent crime began to surge.
“While data showcases our progress and highlights ongoing challenges, we must always honor the real lives impacted by these figures,” Kirkpatrick said. “These individuals are forever woven into the fabric of New Orleans’ story, and our hearts go out to their families and loved ones.”
her father, a Vietnam War combat veteran, left her traumatized; that she was a distinctly bad choice to be a New Orleans police officer and was susceptible to manipulation by Lacaze; and that her lawyers badly failed her Murrill told WDSU during an interview early in the week that Frank was eligible to be killed by the state, while urging Williams to seek a death warrant. But court records show that Frank’s postconviction relief application, filed in 2009 and supplemented last summer, has remained unheard.
“She’s firmly in the middle of the mandatory appeals process,” said her attorney Matilde Carbia of the Mwalimu Center for Justice, which represents many of the 57 people on death row in Louisiana “There is active litigation.”
Carbia said prosecutors have not acted in Frank’s case in almost 15 years.
“It’s been their turn,” she said.
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Leitz-Eagan James, Cornelius New Orleans Boyd Family Ducre, Ida Charbonnet Fulton, Thesma Haley, Charles Richardson Sr., Hayes DW Rhodes Daniels, William Jacobs-Carrere, Charmaine Estelle J Wilson Warning, John Gertrude Geddes Moore, Belle Thomas Jr., Louis Greenwood Cascio, Nicholas Heritage Funeral Alverez Jr.,Albert Jackson, Carolyn Mackie, Barbara Majestic Mortuary Fontenot, Eugene Gaines, Gloria Johnson, Shelia Johnson Jr., Richard Oliver, Elma Virgil, Clarence Murray Henderson Clark, Maurice Ricard, Edna St Bernard St Bernard Bonura,Anthony West Bank Davis Mortuary Lumar Jr., Claudel Mothe Gros Jr., Jessie Robinson FH Bartholomew, William Obituaries
STAFF FILe PHOTO by breTT DUKe
The Zulu parade makes its way past Gallier Hall in New Orleans on Feb 13, 2024.
1955, while in the Army, he
Obituary for Albert Alverez Jr. Alpha 12-241948, Omega 02-01-2025 Minister Albert Alverez, Jr., aresident of New Orleans has entered into eternal rest at the age of 76. He was the son of the late Albert Williams Alverez, Sr, and Joyce Morris Alverez. Stepson of Betty Howard Alverez. He was the beloved husband of Ellen Dionne Alverez for 24 years. They gave each other the desires of their heart. He is survived by his children; daughter, Quinnesha Alverez; son, Dion Anderson (Sonya); and stepfather of Harlon Martinez.His loving grandchildren: Jasmine, Dion, and Dominique. He also leaves behind his godson, Reggie Keller; brother of James Alverez (Cheryl), Minister Larry Alverez, along with ahost of other relatives and friends. He graduated from McDonough 35 Senior High School, class of 1967. He served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, where he was a Purple Heart recipient. He was amember of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church for 24 years. The funeral will be held at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church on Friday, February 21st. Viewing is at 8:00am and funeral Service willbegin at 8:45am. Pastor Fred Luter, Jr. will officiate. All FABC members, Christian Fellowship FamilyWorship Center, family and friends are welcome to attend. Arrangements entrusted Heritage Funeral Directors, 4101 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117.
Bartholomew, William V.
William V. Bartholomew departed this life peace‐fully at his home in Pointe à la Hache, LA on February 7 2025. He was 70 years old to a lifelong resident of Plaquemines Parish. He was the son of the late Theophone Bartholomew and Jean Regina Bartholomew William was a devoted husband to Charlotte Bartholomew for 27 ½ years Together they share 11 children (6 daugh‐ters Danyell Bartholomew Jennifer SummerBarthelemy, Triquila, Lashara, Tenasha and Shaquanna Harvey; 5 sons William Jr Gary and Tyrell Bartholomew, Stan and Lloyd Harvey He was pre‐ceded in death by his brothers Calvin and Theo‐phone Justin Jr and sister Eugenie Bartholomew He survived by his wife Char‐lotte Bartholomew and brother Eugene Bartholomew, 11 children, 39 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, a host of nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends Rela‐tives and friends of the family are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial at St Thomas Catholic Church 17605 LA-15, Pointe à la Hache, LA 70082 on February 22, 2025, at 11 am Visitation will begin at 9 am. Interment will be pri‐vate. Funeral planning en‐trusted to Robinson Family Funeral Home 9611 LA-23 Belle Chase, LA 70037 (504) 208-2119. For online condo‐lences, please visit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com
It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Anthony "Ted" Bonura, a beloved brother uncle and friend, who left us on Mon‐day February 17, 2025. He was a cherished and loving husband to Mary Ann Theady Bonura, who pre‐ceded him in death in 2024 Together, they shared a bond like no other, filled with love laughter, and joy He is survived by his siblings Mary L Crovetto (Fenner) and John A Bonura Sr (Ruby); his nieces & nephews, Lenny Jr. Wayne, Karen Tony Marie, Danny, Angie, Heather Paula and John Jr.; his godchildren, Stephen Guidry (Ashely), Tonya Westerfield and Ali‐cia Rockwell Breazeale (Luke); his brother and sis‐ters-in-law, Eddie Theady (Pam) and Susan Howard He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann Theady Bonura; his parents, Joseph Bonura and Inez Everhardt; his siblings, Leonard L Bonura (the late Mary) and Kenneth Bonura (the late Sherrie); his nieces & nephews, Cindy Alan and Roy. Ted was a proud and dedicated selfemployed courier, owning and operating Crescent City Courier. Through his hard work determination and commitment, he earned the respect and ad‐miration of many. He was not just a businessman but a friend to all who crossed his path. Known for his playful spirit Ted had a love for pranks and jokes, always finding a way to bring laughter into every room He was a true joke‐ster, never missing an op‐portunity to make those around him smile His love for dancing was another part of his vibrant person‐ality. Alongside his wife, he was often found on the dance floor, moving to the rhythm of life, joyfully cele‐brating their shared love for music and movement The love between Ted and Mary was a beautiful thing to witness, and we take comfort in knowing that, together they are now dancing once again, this time in heaven. We hope they are enjoying every moment of their eternal dance, continuing to share the happiness and love they brought to everyone on Earth. Ted leaves behind a legacy of laughter, love, and the unwavering bonds of family and friendship He will be deeply missed but always remembered by all who knew him. Rela‐tives and friends are in‐vited to attend a visitation to be held at St. Bernard Memorial Funeral Home, 701 W. Virtue St Chal‐mette, LA on Friday, Febru‐ary 21, 2025, from 9:00 am11:00 am. A funeral service will begin at 11:00 am. Bur‐ial will follow in St. Bernard Memorial Gardens To view and sign the Family Guest‐book, please visit www stb ernardmemorial com.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Nicholas Philip Cascio on January 17, 2025 at the age of 71. Nick was born on July 11, 1953, in New Orleans, LA, to John J Cascio Jr and Josephine F Grisafi Cascio Nick was predeceased by his par‐ents, granddaughter Molly Marie Cascio, cousin Stephen Sclafani, brothersin-law Michael Seide, George Keim Jr. Robert Keim, Raymond Keim, John Keim, John Martin, Gary Hester, and sister-in-law Lucille Keim. Nick is sur‐vived and missed by his loving wife Louise Keim Cascio of 40 years; his chil‐dren, sons Scott Cascio (Ellen) and Michael Cascio (Brandi), stepson Monroe A Meyers, III; grandchil‐dren Blain, Brennan, Scott, Sidney Mia, Macie Marlie Mckenna Cascio and Joshua Rizzuto; greatgrandchildren Paisley, Grayson and Grant; sister Roselyn Cascio Seide; brothers John Cascio (Pamela) and Darrin Cas‐cio (Colleen); brother-inlaw Richard Keim (Anna);
Joshua Rizzuto; greatgrandchildren Paisley Grayson, and Grant; sister Roselyn Cascio Seide; brothers John Cascio (Pamela) and Darrin Cas‐cio (Colleen); brother-inlaw Richard Keim (Anna); sisters-in-law Jean Keim Martin, Barbara Keim Hes‐ter Patricia Keim Beard (Ronnie), Carol Keim John‐son (Willie), Mary Lee Keim and Nancy Keim; an uncle and aunt Frank and Flo‐rence Sclafani; nieces Jes‐sica Palmer (Charles) Jaime Mulloy (Kelly) and Alyssa Cascio; nephews Devin Schneider (Amanda) Daniel Schneider (Geo‐vanna); cousin Joel Sclafani and many greatnieces and great-nephews Nick also leaves behind his precious Allie. "We will al‐ways carry your memory in our hearts." Nick gradu‐ated from Abramson High School and was retired from Winn-Dixie Grocery Stores and Savoie’s Meats The family would like to express a special thank you to the employees of Enhabit Hospice and the Peristyle at Beau West Rel‐atives and friends are in‐vited to visit Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 Canal Blvd. New Orleans LA 70124, on Saturday, Febru‐ary 22, 2025, starting at 9:00 a.m. A Memorial Mass will follow the visitation at 11:00 a.m The burial will be in Greenwood Ceme‐tery. We also invite you to share your thoughts, fond memories, and condo‐lences online at www greenwoodfh com. Your shared memories will help us celebrate Nick’s life and keep his memory alive.
Maurice David Clark en‐tered into eternal rest on February 3,2025 Maurice was born to the union of the late Reverend Isaac David Clark and Annie Ruth Clark Maurice attended Joseph S Clark high school He also served in the United States Army Re‐serves. Maurice leave to cherish his wife Gloria Hillard Clark and two sons Damien (Zaharrah) and Brandon Clark. His mother, Annie R. Clark four broth‐ers: Jimmie A. (Octavia) Clark, Bernard D. Clark, Myron D Clark and Ethan Turner five sisters: Irma Clark Anita Clark, Cornelia Clark and Myra Clark, Becky Clark and Joenita (Brent)Washington and six grandchildren: Damien Jr. Asjah, Skye, Makenzie, Syndee and Aria; Motherin-law, Lela Blanson of New Orleans, LA; Father-in-law, Vernon Creecy Sisters-inlaw: Victoress Jenkin and Danielle Blanson Brothersin-law: Marlon Creecy and LeGraph Creecy. Devoted brother-in friend, Arnold J Francis and a host of nieces, nephews, other rel‐atives and friends are in‐vited to attend celebra‐tions of Life on February 22,2025 visitation 9:00AM until service time 11:00AM at Murray Henderson Fu‐neral Home 1209 Teche St New Orleans, La 70114 Elder Abraham D Peden is officiating
William Mack
William Mack Daniels, age 95, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2025, at Passages Hospice New Orleans after a lengthy illness. A lifelong resident of New Orleans he was born on January 19, 1930, to the union of the late John B. and Mollie Wal‐lace Daniels. The youngest of eight children, William was known as “Daniels” “Dan” or “Mack” to family and friends William at‐tended Valena C Jones Ele‐mentary School and Gilbert Academy in New Orleans He earned a degree in Mathematics from South‐ern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge and a Master’s Degree in Edu‐cation from Xavier Univer‐sity of New Orleans. In 1955, while in the Army he married the love of his life, Valda Marie Wilder. Two daughters were born into this union William worked for more than 43 years in the Orleans Parish School System as a math teacher ‐
married the love of his life, Valda Marie Wilder Two daughters were born into this union William worked for more than 43 years in the Orleans Parish School System as a math teacher and guidance counselor re‐tiring in 1996. After retire‐ment, he enjoyed traveling watching educational pro‐grams and spending time with his family He leaves to cherish his memory his loving and devoted wife of 69 years, Valda Wilder Daniels, daughters Theda Daniels-Race, PhD (Paul) and Urica Daniels Regis MBA (Wayne), grandchil‐dren Kylan (Chelsea), and Peyton Race, and Royce Regis godsons Irving Joseph Johnson, III and Ado “Joe” Ball, and many more family and friends He was preceded in death by his parents, John B. and Mollie Wallace Daniels, his devoted mother-in-law, Vi‐vian Haynes Richmond, and siblings Samuel Pay‐ton, Sally Payton Carter, Mary Payton Swearingen Helen Payton Francois, Edith “Hazel” Daniels Carl‐ton, John Henry Daniels, and Joseph Baldwin Daniels Relatives and friends of the family are in‐vited to attend the Cele‐bration of Life Services on Saturday, February 22 2025, at St Rita Catholic Church at 2729 Lowerline Street in New Orleans Visi‐tation will be from 9:30 am – 10:30 am with the mass immediately following. In‐terment: Lake Lawn Park Cemetery & Mausoleum, 5454 Pontchartrain Boule‐vard, New Orleans Arrangements entrusted to D.W Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave Please visit www rhodesf uneral com to sign the on‐line guestbook
Ida Ducre passed away on February 6 2025, Sur‐vived by Albert “Nook Ducre (son), Erlicia RiggsBrumfield (daughter) Savion Riggs (grandson) and DaJanae Brumfield (granddaughter) Also sur‐vived by Velencia Ducre (sister), Mercedes Ducre (sister-in-law), a host of nephews, cousins, family and friends Preceded in death by Valence Ducre (father), Albertine Marine Ducre (mother) and Bernard "Duke" Ducre (brother) Family and friends are invited to at‐tend a Celebration of Life Service on Friday, February 21, 2025, for 10:00 a.m at Gentilly Baptist Church, 5141 Franklin Ave New Or‐leans, LA Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m Pastor Ken Taylor, officiating In‐terment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery, 10400 Old Gen‐tilly New Orleans LA Repast will also be at Gen‐tilly Baptist Church Guest‐book Online: www anewtra ditionbegins.com (504)2820600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/Funeral Directors.
Eugene “Blue” Fontenot departed this earthly life on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at the age of 67 at Riverbend Nursing Rehabil‐itation Center in Belle Chase, La He was born on October 22, 1957, in New Orleans, La., but grew up in Slidell, La. He was a car‐penter by profession, and he was good at what he did He attended Salmen High School He is the fa‐ther of Travis Joseph Fontenot and Gabrielle Jean Fontenot-Wright (Terry). He was the son of the late Mildred Perryman Fontenot and Arthur “Boo” Fontenot. He is the brother of Arthur “Red” Fontenot, Jr., the late Denise Fontenot, late Ethaniel “Black” Fontenot and late Anthony “Boo” Fontenot He was a man of resilience and stood on his word During his time on earth, he was a devoted Saints fan before and while fight‐ing cancer He enjoyed fishing, bowling and hang‐ing out with family He leaves to cherish his son and daughter, ex-wife
Dur s on he was a devoted Saints fan before and while fight‐ing cancer. He enjoyed fishing bowling and hang‐ing out with family He leaves to cherish his son and daughter, ex-wife Cheryl W. Fontenot, son-inlaw a devoted cousin Wilbert Perryman, three nephews one niece, one great-niece, two aunts Cheryl, Slyvia, uncle Clarence Fontenot and a host of cousins and de‐voted friends All family and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Service at Majestic Mortuary, 1833 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd New Orleans, La. 70113 on Friday February 21, 2025 Visitation at 10 a.m. Ser‐vice at 11 a.m. Burial will be private Due to COVID19, everyone attending is encouraged to wear masks and adhere to social dis‐tancing. Professional arrangements entrusted to Majestic Mortuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872. e
Friday, February 14,
East
She was born on November 28, 1939 in New Orleans, LA to the
Louis Joseph Robinson and Agnes Eva Turnior Beloved wife of Henry S Fulton for 66 years and 70 years to‐gether. Middle sister of Marthell Adams and the late Bernadine Frere Also survived by their beloved daughter, Tara M Watson; grandchildren Xavier J Watson and Chantell M Watson along with her grand cats, Tuti, Chase, Bella Ghost and Maxi Thesma was a skilled do‐mestic homemaker most known for her love of fash‐ion/designs, keeping up by sewing the hottest dresses that she sketched out watching award shows She made dresses, cos‐tumes and enjoyed dress‐ing the grandkids up for school events She was a true Sagittarius, which made her "One of a Kind " All are invited to attend the funeral. A Mass of Christ‐ian burial honoring the life and legacy of the late Thesma Ann Fulton will be held at Corpus Christi/Epiphany Catholic Church, 2022 St Bernard Avenue New Orleans LA 70116 on Saturday, Febru‐ary 22, 2025 at 10 am Inter‐ment St Louis No 3 Ceme‐tery, 3421 Esplanade Av‐enue New Orleans LA 70119. No Repass. Respect the family’s privacy. Please sign the online guestbook at www charbonnetfuner alhome com Charbonnet Labat Glapion Directors (504) 581-4411.
de‐partment for many years Attended Show Hill in Mo‐bile, AL. Her passion for helping people was so great that she attended and graduated from Syd‐ney Collier Vocational School nursing program Gloria was initially of the Methodist faith, where she attended Brooks United Methodist Church There‐after,
In Loving Memory Glo‐ria Mae Ross Gaines, De‐cember 18, 1928 – February 11, 2025. Gloria Mae Ross Gaines transitioned from Earth peacefully at home surrounded by family at the tender age of 96 on February 11, 2025. Gloria was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she was educated and graduated from Booker T Washington High School. New Orleans, LA She found work at Baptist ns, de‐rs o‐or so ed yd‐nal am the he ted ere‐was p by at Little Zion Baptist Church, New Orleans Louisiana, She moved her member‐ship to Morning Star Mis‐sionary Baptist Church, still under the auspices of her husband. where he was the overseer Due to Hurricane Katrina, she placed her membership with Elm Grove Baptist Church under the leader‐ship of Rev. Dr. Errol K Domingue During her
95. Beloved husband of Dorothy “Tally” McDon‐ald Gros by second mar‐riage and of the late Lou Henderson Gros by first marriage Father of Vickie Gros, and Jessie N. Gros III, (the late Debbie) and Pat‐tie Gros Harris. Son of the late Jeanne Pertuit Gros and Jessie N. Gros, Sr Brother of the late Marie DeSeamus and Betty The‐riot. Grandfather of Brit‐tney Wylie, Jeanne-Marie Harris, Jessie “Jay” N. Gros, IV, and Donovan Harris Great grandfather of An‐derson Bellanger. Uncle of Maureen Theriot, Debbie Cemo, and Edward DeSe‐mus, Jr He was President of Deltide Fishing & Rental Tools, Inc. He was a mem‐ber of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, American Legion Post 222 Lions Club, Harvey Canal Industrial Association, and the Gretna Sportsman Club. He served proudly in the United States Marine Corp and was a lifelong resident of Marrero, LA Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Mass in the chapel of Mothe Funeral Home, 2100 Westbank Expwy., Harvey, LA on Sat‐urday February 22, 2025 at 1:30pm Visitation will be held from 11:30am until 1:30pm Interment, West‐lawn Memorial Park Ceme‐tery Family and friends may view and sign the on‐line guest book at www mothefunerals com.
Bonura, Anthony 'Ted'
Fulton, Thesma
Clark, Maurice David
Ducre, Ida
Gros Jr., Jessie N.
Jessie N. Gros, Jr passed away on Monday February 17, 2025 at the age of
Gaines, Gloria Mae Ross
Cascio, Nicholas Philip
Fontenot, Eugene 'Blue'
Daniels,
Haley, Charles Isadore
Charles Isadore Haley, age 73, passed away at his home in New Orleans, LA on Friday, February 7, 2025
He lived his adult life in New Orleans but was born in Woodville, MS on Febru‐ary 5, 1952 to the late Mat‐tie Odessa Jackson Poole and Isaac Haley Loving fa‐ther of Anita LaToya, Caleb Haley and Tomika Goffner In addition to his children, Mr. Haley also leaves to cherish his legacy, four grandchildren; former wife Carolyn Haley; siblings, Walter Eddie, Reginald Mary and Susan Haley, Reginald and Ricky Jones Patricia Harden, Gail Thomas and Brenda Adams; stepbrothers, Henry, Walter and Fred Poole, as well as a host of brothers and sisters-inlaw nieces nephews other family and friends In addition to his parents Charles is also preceded in death by a sister, Carol Jones; stepbrother, Her‐bert Poole, Jr; grandson Raynold Fenelon, Jr and great-granddaughter, T’Aja Pembrick A Celebration service honoring the life and legacy of the late Charles Isadore Haley will be held at New Home Fam‐ily Worship Center, 1616 Robert C. Blakes, Sr. Drive New Orleans, LA 70130 on Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 11 am Interment Pri‐vate. Visitation 9 am in the church Please sign online guestbook at www. char‐bonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504) 581-4411.
Carolyn
Carolyn Smith Jackson, age 64, was born on February 28th, 1960, in New Orleans, LA. to the union of Robert Alfred Smith Sr. and Zenobia Smith. She departed this earthly home on February 7th, 2025. She retired from Harrah's Casino. She is survived by her husband of 30 years, Emmanuel Bowden, 5children Kenneth, Kendricka, Jessica, Leroy and Kadijah Jacksonand Jamal Woods. 7grandchildren, Khalil, Kaden, David, Jarrell, Karson, Sheldon and A'Loni. Siblings, Sheila Morgan, Gwendolyn Leblanc, Debbie Nelson, Dinana Smith, Robert Smith Jr. and Ronnie Smith. Ahost of nieces, nephews, aunts, cousins, and friends. Special longtime friends, Paula, Terry, and Michelle. She was preceded in death by her parents, son, Byron Jackson and granddaughter, Khloe Jackson. Carolyn loved shopping and eating out with her daughters and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Special thanks to Ochsner Baptist Oncology team for caring and showing compassion to our Cabbie. Family, friends, Ochsner Health, Harrah's Casino, Reaping The Harvest International Church, Osceola School System and Amazon is invited to the homegoing celebration on February 21st, 2025 at Reaping The Harvest Interntaional Church, 5123 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA 70117 at 10am. Visitation 9am10am. Burial to follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Services entrusted to the caring staff of Heritage Funeral Directors. Repast to follow at Reaping the Harvest, 5123 Dauphine St.
Jacobs-Carrere, Charmaine
Charmaine Jacobs-Car‐rere of New Orleans, Louisiana passed away on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at the age of 55. She leaves to cherish her memory, her devoted husband, Donald Carrere; parents, Patricia and Wilmer Jacobs; broth‐ers, Gregory Jacobs (Brandy), Wilmer Jacobs Jr.; stepchildren, Don Car‐rere II (Maria) and JonDevin Carrere (Michelle); aunt, Stephanie Simmons; nieces and nephews Nicholas, Isabella and Blake Jacobs; grandchil‐dren, Mykel, Maddox, and Miles Carrere, and a host of other cousins, relatives, friends and co-workers Relatives and friends of the family, priests and parish‐ioners of St. Martin De Por‐res and St. Maria Goretti Catholic Churches Mem‐bers of the Ladies of Purple Scholars HIPO Club XX The Vikings Krewe, also employees of ED&F Man are invited to attend a Memorial Mass on Satur‐day, February 22, 2025 at St Martin De Porres Church, 5621 Elysian Fields Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana 70122, Visitation: 9:00 AM –10:30 AM. Rosary Recita‐tion @ 10:30 AM with Mass service immediately fol‐lowing at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ladies of Purple Scholars at ladies‐forpurplescholars.org.
Arrangements by D.W Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Avenue Please visit www rhodesfuner al.com to sign the guest‐book
Cornelius
Cornelius "Connie Howard James passed away on February 15, 2025 at the age of 74 at Azalea Hospice in New Orleans Louisiana He was born on May 1 1950, in New Or‐leans to Carlton and Mar‐guerite James A proud Army Veteran, Connie served during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1970 Throughout his life, he worked various jobs but found his greatest passion in playing the drums He began drumming in Kenner with the late Ory Brooks and continued performing in many churches until ill‐ness forced him to stop in his sixties. Connie was pre‐deceased by his wife, Mary Evan James, and his par‐ents. He is survived by his brothers Carlton (Marilyn), Curious (Mary), and Henry James, as well as his halfsister Willie Mae James Lewis of Plaquemine, Louisiana He also leaves behind numerous cousins and friends The family ex‐tends their heartfelt grati‐tude to the many individu‐als and organizations that supported Connie's health‐care needs, especially after the passing of his wife when he became a resident at the Southeast Veterans Home A special acknowledgement is given to his dear friend Lyonetta W Flowers for her kind‐ness and companionship in his final months, bringing him joy through outings, lunches, and devotion. The home going for Brother Cornelius H. James will be held at New Generation Fellowship, 1000 Clay St Kenner, LA 70062 on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:00am Bishop E Craig Wilson officiating Inter‐ment will follow in Provi‐dence St. Mark's Society Cemetery, 342 Providence Ln, River Ridge, LA 70123.
Shelia Ann Johnson, a lifelong resident of New Orleans, La. departed this life on Sunday, February 2, 2025 in the care of her doc‐tors at Touro Hospital at the age of 65. Shelia is pre‐ceded in death by her par‐ents, the late Annie Mae Perkins and Hure Walker Sr., her companion of 28 years, James Larry “Gator Pierce, brothers: John Henry Walker, Lee Walker Sr., Michael Jefferson, aun‐ties: Margaret Perkins Lu‐berta Fleming, Idamae Perkins cousin: James (Pete) Perkins, best friend: Denise Anderson Shelia attended L B. Landry High School where she began to cultivate a community of friends and peers that would follow her through‐out her life. She had a vi‐brant personality, and she loved hosting parties and celebrations with her fam‐ily She would help anyone in need She always had open arms and an open door where anyone was welcome to stay. Her kids and grandkids were her everything She had a unique way of cursing you out and apologizing at the same time She enjoyed dressing up putting on her red lipstick, wigs, drinking her beer dancing and lis‐tening to her music no matter the time of day and you better not tell her any‐thing Her favorite quote was “God got me, God has a plan for me.” When there was trouble, she would say, “we need to pray more” She was still singing during her illness in the hospital along with her kids and grandchil‐dren. She truly enjoyed life to its fullest. Shelia leaves to cherish her memories, three children: Shakhalila, Larrynisha and Khalil John‐son five sisters: Sumellow Jones, Delphia Walker, Vera White, Stayce Demoulin and Gwendolyn Mitchell, five brothers: Freddie John‐son, Terrell Jones, Hure C Walker Jr Willie and Kevin White, 13 grandchildren: Micheal Khali, Khalil Khai’lan, Khyler, McKieren, McKenzie and Kyrie John‐son Alicia and Louis Barnes, Mason Hampton, Crystalynn Madison and Karlie Bartholomew, her cousins: Roslyn Perkins Debra Thompson and a host of nieces, nephews great-grandchildren, fam‐ily and friends A Funeral Service will be held on Sat‐urday, February 22, 2025 at 10 am (visitation at 9 am) at St Stephen Baptist Church 1738 L. B Landry Ave., New Orleans, La Fol‐lowed by burial at Resthaven Memorial Park, 10400 Old Gentilly Road New Orleans, La. 70127 Professional arrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872.
Richard John Johnson, Jr., born January 11, 1985, entered into eternal rest January 13, 2025 at the age of 40 years old. Richard was the son of Anna Sal‐vant Ford and the late Richard John Johnson, Sr Ricky was the father of son Kedrin “Papa”, daughter Kayne “Emma” Everfield and the guardian of Keonta “Noonie” Everfield. Ricky was baptized at the age of ei vo 23.
Ricky was the father of son Kedrin “Papa”, daughter Kayne “Emma” Everfield and the guardian of Keonta “Noonie” Everfield. Ricky was baptized at the age of eight years old and his fa‐vorite scripture was Psalm 23. Ricky leaves to cherish his fond memories his mother Anna Salvant Ford, brother Michael Abanda Jr., two sisters Regina Johnson and Wylece Ford Godchild Daijahna Ever‐field, uncle Worcester Johnson, Jr. (Irma), two aunts Gisele Anderson (Henry), Shirlene Brown (William), three nieces and three nephews. Ricky is preceded in death by his father Richard John John‐son, Sr., sister Leslie Marie Johnson, paternal grand‐parents Mildred and Worcester Johnson, Sr. maternal grandparents Verna and Curtis Williams and Eddie Salvant, Sr., and uncle Eddie Salvant III. We the family of Richard John Johnson, Jr. would like to express our gratitude for all acts of kindness we re‐ceived during this time of bereavement Brakeman Hotel Dauphine Orleans Hotel, Bank Apartment Staff, Edna Karr C/O 2003 and Ms. Carolyn Mayo Bur‐ial service was held on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at McDonoghville Ceme‐tery in Gretna, La. Profes‐sional arrangements en‐trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ary Service, Inc (504) 5235872.
Claudel “June” Lumar, Jr departed this life on Tues‐day February 4 2025, at the age of 68. He was a na‐tive of New Orleans, LA and a resident of West‐wego, LA. Devoted hus‐band of 44 years to Janice Smith Lumar Beloved fa‐ther of Sykema Lumar Dawane Barabino, Marcus Lumar Sr and the late Janiece Harvey Loving son of the late Claudel “Geechie” Lumar, Sr and Helen Bradford Lumar Stepson of Augustine Lumar Grandson of the late Otis Lumar, Sr., and Sylvinia Gordan Lumar Brother of Sylvia Lumar Frank, Kim Lumar Smith, Angela Lumar (Jeffrey) Heard, and Contance Lumar (Keith) Varmall Stepbrother of Phyllis, Wayne Lori and Ronald Matthews. Son-in-law of the late Willie Mae Smith Grandson-in-law of the late Joe and Alice Smith Brother-in-law of Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Larry (Valerie) Smith, and the late Joseph Jackson Uncle of the late Calvin Populis, Jr., and Christo‐pher Burns, Jr. Claudel is also survived by 20 grand‐children 4 great grandchil‐dren, and a host of nieces, nephews cousins, other relatives and friends Rela‐tives and friends of the family also pastors, offi‐cers, and members of Grace and Glory Family Worship Church Interna‐tional are invited to attend the Homegoing Celebration at Grace and Glory Family Worship Church Interna‐tional, 802 Third St New Orleans, LA on Friday, Feb‐ruary 21, 2025, at 10:00a.m Pastor Eileen Lumar-John‐son officiating Visitation will begin at 9:00a.m until service time at the abovenamed church Interment: Southeast Louisiana Veter‐ans Cemetery-Slidell, LA Arrangement by Davis
Mortuary Service Inc. 230 Monroe St. Gretna, LA. To view and sign the guest‐book please go to www davismortuaryservice com. Face Masks Are Recom‐mended
Barbara P. Mackie, March 13, 1942 -February 11, 2025. It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Barbara Mackie, who departed this life on February 11, 2025, at her home in New Orleans, LA, at the age of 82. Barbara was born on March13, 1942, in New Orleans, whereshe spent her entire life. She attended Booker T. Washington High School and graduated in 1959. She later met and married Manuel O. Mackie Sr., and in 1961, they welcomed their first son, Manuel Jr. (affectionately knownas Dune). Years later, in 1981, she was blessed with another son, Miguel P. Mackie. Barbara dedicated many years of her life as a nursing assistant at Mercy Hospital and American Nursing before retiring. She was also adevoted volunteer with theNew Orleans Chapter One School Board, where she earned multiple awards for her outstanding service. A woman of deep faith, Barbara was baptized at Second Free Mission Baptist Church by ReverendPeter Brown Fortner and remained a lifelong member, actively participatinginchurch activities and services. She waspreceded in death by her parents, Laura Williams and Thomas G.H. Patrick; her beloved son, Manuel Jr. (Dune); grandson, Jabari Walters; and daughter-in-law, Keeshian J. Mackie (mother of Patrick and Brenden Mackie). Barbara leaves behind cherished memories with her loving husband, Manuel O. Mackie Sr.; her son, Miguel P. Mackie (wife Tonika Lockhart-Mackie); her sister, Beverly Patrick; her grandchildren,Jordan Mackie (wife Luz Mackie, mother Edmetta Mackie), Patrick Mackie, Brenden Mackie, and Candace Walters (mother Joan S. Walters, son Jabari Walters); her cousin, Linda Smith; as well as greatgrandchildren,extended family, and many dear friends. Afuneral service will be held on Friday, February 21, 2025, at Second Free Mission Baptist Church, 1228 Burdette St., New Orleans, LA. Viewing will begin at 9:00 AM, followed by the service at 10:00 AM. A repast will be held immediately following the funeral. Barbara's warmth,generosity, and unwavering love will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Arrangements entrusted to Heritage Funeral Directors, 4101 St Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA., 70117
Moore, Belle Louise
Belle Louise Moore, age 82, was born on July 3, 1943, in New Orleans LA She departed this life on Wednesday, January 22 2025. She retired as a Disc Jockey from the Radio Sta‐tion WWOZ 90.7 FM where she was also known as “Brown Sugar” She had a fondness for music. She met many friends over the radio and some in person She will leave a lasting legacy. Belle leaves to mourn cousins, Sheila Marshall and Jo Lynn Adams her godchild Monique Ramsey, sister-inlaw Ann Wiltz, friends Rosemary White, Lena Steward, Donald Lowe Maryse Dejan, Stephen Liv‐ingston and a host of other nieces, nephews cousins sisters-in-law, brothers-inlaw and friends. Belle was preceded in death by her beloved husband Anatol Moore, and her brother Robert Boyd Relatives and friends of the family are in‐vited to attend the Cele‐bration of Life Service on Saturday February 22, 2025, at Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home, 2120 Jack‐son Avenue
gratitude
Mackie, Barbara P.
Lumar Jr., Claudel 'June
Olivera SSF, Sister Elma
Sister Elma Olivera, SSF (nee Elma Louise Olivera) the daughter of the late Timothy Olivera and Rosiebell Monroe Olivera entered eternal life on Sun‐
James,
Howard 'Connie'
Jackson,
Johnson Jr., Richard John
OUR VIEWS
Don’t let gypsum become flotsam
Significant public concern should attend the news that state regulators are allowing Mosaic Fertilizer in St. James Parish to expand its already-massive mound of slightly radioactive gypsum near marshes, neighborhoods and the Mississippi River
The huge gypsum pile for now seems well designed and maintained. But this is Louisiana, where hurricanes rage, the water table is high and soils tend to be soft. The dangers of a leach or breach are obvious.
At some point, the dangers of processing the phosphate rock, from which phosphogypsum is a byproduct, will vastly outweigh the benefits Better an industrial plant shutdown and the loss of hundreds of jobs than a colossal release of contaminated material — radioactive and dangerously acidic that could harm the health of hundreds of thousands while killing plants and wildlife.
The point at which that stark choice presents itself hasn’t been reached yet, but public vigilance and regulatory aggressiveness are essential.
Mosaic’s plant crushes phosphate rock to make a fertilizer that substantially improves agricultural output nationwide. But for every pound of usable product, it leaves five pounds of waste.
The question of how to handle gypsum waste lends itself to no answers that are either easy or good.
After years of back-and-forth, the Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 approved gypsum’s use in road-construction projects, deciding that it “will be at least as protective of human health, in the short-and long-term, as stacking.”
The EPA under the Biden administration, however, quickly rescinded the approval, as environmentalists fear that roadway wear-and-tear or natural disasters could lead to radioactive materials escaping into groundwater
Meanwhile, the pile in St. James Parish kept growing. Even though it had begun shifting in 2018 due to a weak zone in the underlying soils supporting it, the pile right now is about 200 feet high — already 40 feet taller than Louisiana’s Avery Island, the highest natural spot on the Gulf Coast — and is projected to cover a whopping 1,300 acres with hundreds of millions of cubic yards of waste.
The latest approval would allow a new pile 160 feet high that also would serve as a buttress to stabilize the existing pile. Mosaic eventually wants that existing pile to reach as high as 310 feet.
The company, to its credit, continues to try to find other uses for the product Although the EPA continues to ban gypsum’s widespread use on public roads, it is allowing Mosaic to test it on a “small-scale road pilot project on private land in Florida.” Still, that’s a long way from an imminent solution.
State officials should not allow the pile to grow indefinitely Frequent inspections should continue and unless redoubled efforts are successful in finding other safe uses, the state should give Mosaic some sort of “stop-piling” deadline, even if it means the facility eventually would need to shutter
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the editor,The Advocate, P.O box 588, baton rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
OPINION
Jan. 1 terror attack exposed ineffective leadership in city
Let me first say that I’m 70 years old and have lived in New Orleans and Metairie all of my life. I need to get some things off of my chest concerning the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street and the state of affairs in the city of New Orleans. Back during the Mitch Landrieu administration, bollards were installed in the French Quarter in hopes of deterring a terrorist attack. In what has become a typical issue with the administration of the city, maintenance is nonexistent. It boggles my mind how this administration continues to not serve the citizens of New Orleans.
I want to praise the New Orleans East City Council member Oliver Thomas for constantly being in front of the media asking for help in his district. Conversely there is the representative of the French Quarter, Freddie King, who is never in front of the media asking, pleading, or demanding help to make the Quarter
what it needs to be. I would venture to say that 99.99% of tourists who come to New Orleans spend some time in the Quarter
The Quarter is the crown jewel of the city and deserves/needs to be spotless, free from holes in sidewalks, free of homeless people and their dogs, etc.
New Orleans depends greatly on tourism, and Mayor LaToya Cantrell is not interested in the obvious things necessary to make the city what it should be. The city of New Orleans is a masterpiece that should be treated as such. Obviously, the mayor is more interested in traveling the world as her last term winds down. I’m hopeful that the new administration will prioritize things and act quickly We are a resilient people and have bounced back from some major disasters, but we can’t bounce back from our internal disasters.
ANDREW J COHOON metairie
Trash along I-10 reflects poorly on city
The amount of trash and debris on our city’s Interstate 10 and on/off ramps is appalling compared to other cities I visit. The trash looks like it’s been there for years. Why is that?
Certainly, some government department, agency or contractor is responsible for periodically cleaning it like in other cities. Why don’t our political leaders (mayor’s office, city council) hold whoever is responsible for this city maintenance job accountable? I am
TO SeND US A LeTTer, ScAN Here
sure they must see it too every day as they travel I-10 in the city Through a combination of our political leaders holding accountable the department responsible for cleaning I-10 and promoting a new anti-litter campaign like the “Don’t Be A Litterbug” campaign of the 1960s-’70s to reduce locals littering every day like it’s Mardi Gras, the problem can be solved or improved.
KEVIN WILLIAMS New Orleans
Archdioceses shameless for Second Harvest firings
So the archbishop has fired the leaders of Second Harvest Food Bank allegedly for not contributing $16 million toward settling clergy sex abuse claims. Wow, are you kidding me? I find it absolutely abhorrent that the archdiocese has the audacity to do this against the food bank that is one of the best charities anywhere.
The act of firing these individuals is disgusting and disrespectful to the fine people on this nonprofit board — as if the archdiocese needs more negative press. This decision should be reversed, and they should be reinstated. Second Harvest does great work.
MIKE AVOCATO Lacombe
eVs a reliable, cheap mode of transport
I have enjoyed driving a BMW i3 electric vehicle for more than six years. My “range anxiety” quickly disappeared, and I have never had a problem. We usually run the AC. The heated seats and heater rarely During the “Bayou Blizzard,” power did not diminish.
My electric “fuel” costs around $.022 per mile. To compare: For an internal combustion engine vehicle getting 30 miles per gallon with gas at $3 per gallon, it costs 10 cents per mile. Other than buying new tires, my other costs are minimal. No oil or transmission fluid. We chose to install a convenient level 2 home charger which cost $700 six years ago. Many cost less now The only time we evacuated for a hurricane, every gas station we passed was out of gas for our internal combustion SUV Nothing is perfect. Each year I am glad to contribute $110 for the state of Louisiana road tax which I pay with my state income tax returns. With oil companies everincreasing record profits, maybe the oil companies should pay for our roads instead of charging consumers a gas tax of $0.2093 per gallon. In 2018, the 2017 BMW i3 cost $29,400 ($31,000 with tax title, license and after the generous tax credits available in 2018). In 2024, Carvana paid $15,500 to buy the 2017 i3. We bought a 2021 i3 for $24,750, with no tax credits. EVs are not for everyone, but my EV may be the most fun vehicle I have experienced over a lifetime as a car lover, starting with muscle cars of the ‘60s. It is unquestionably the most economical Although we were not eligible for vehicle credits in 2024, many buyers are. Check the site rewiringamerica.org to determine available federal tax credits, as they may disappear soon. JAN DAVIS metairie
Old idea to solve insurance crisis is new again
Solving the property insurance crisis by creating self-insurance groups is perfect if well done. To say it’s a new idea is not true. Thirty years ago, the majority of school districts in Louisiana were pooled under an entity called NASBAT, the National Association School Business Administrators Trust. I was its regional insurance managing agent for Louisiana and Texas. SAM GALLO baton rouge
COMMENTARY
‘Every kid deserves an education that fits for them’
Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley has seen a lot of things in his four-plus years in office: two governors, a pandemic, several hurricanes and storms, a blitz in school-related reforms and the recent rise in national rankings for Louisiana’s schools.
Columnist Faimon Roberts and Deputy
Editor Arnessa Garrett sat down to talk to him about everything facing education today This conversation has been edited for length and clarity
Faimon Roberts: Let’s start with the good news. The Nation’s Report Card shows Louisiana made major gains, at least in terms of our ranking compared to other states. What factor is most responsible for these gains?
Cade Brumley: My first acknowledgment goes to the hardworking teachers of the state of Louisiana. I think it’s important to recognize them. And beyond that, I would say that we have endeavored to narrow the scope of what an elementary school is supposed to do and focus on teaching children to read and do math, and we’ve built a suite of policies that do just that. Roberts: What is outside that scope?
Brumley: To me, a school is ordained to teach academic content. It’s not established to be the parent or the nurse or the social worker And so, if we can focus on academic content, teaching kids to read and do math, love and appreciate their country in elementary schools, I think that sets them up for K-12 success. Arnessa Garrett: Why do you think the math scores have not budged as much as reading?
Brumley: Across the country, from fourth to eighth grade, student outcomes decline in math So the longer the child is in school, the lower the outcomes across the entire country And we’re not immune to that Louisiana. We’re going to be the first state to flip that. And so, we’ve begun a process of mirroring math policy in the same way that we did reading policy
Teacher pay
Garrett: The other good news we have had is on hiring and retention of teachers. That has long been a problem in our state. Again, what moved the needle in that?
Brumley: Outside of the parent, there’s nothing more important to a child’s academic success than a teacher So we have tried to increase the supply of teachers, both through new and innovative pathways to the profession, but also our “Let Teachers Teach” work that is reducing trainings, removing onerous bureaucracy, focusing on eliminating classroom disruptions so that more teachers are willing to stay in the profession, and that’s what we’re seeing.
Roberts: Would you be supportive of more and more permanent increases in teacher pay?
Brumley: I am a champion of higher teacher pay I have consistently advocated for higher teacher pay, and I think that you have to lift the base pay for every teacher but also provide opportunities for merit pay, additional pay for hard-to-staff areas like high school science, math, K-12 special education and additional compensation for teachers that are teaching in communities that are more difficult to staff. Roberts: So let’s talk for a minute
about school performance scores, which this year, broadly, were up across the board. But tougher standards are coming. Why do we need the tougher standards?
Brumley: I think the present system has grown stale, and a lever we have as state government is an accountability system. An accountability system should be designed to be honest with the public about school quality, and it should also incentivize the activities that the state believes are important within a public school.
Roberts: What role do you think career and technical education needs to play in Louisiana public education?
Brumley: The previous system basically rewarded enormous amounts of points for simply walking across the stage. What we’re asking in terms of this is true career and technical education, where students are graduating with a credential of value. If you pull the most commonly earned credentials in the state of Louisiana over the last decade, they are low-level credentials: ‘Congratulations, you’re going into a job and a life of poverty.’ That’s what we’re trying to change. And so, our expectation is that if a school wants to show up well, students have to have college preparation, career preparation, high-value career preparation or a designation of going into the service.
I think Louisiana is uniquely positioned to meet the moment and meet the opportunity and obligation of transforming the high school experience. And that’s where I get pushback. I am demanding a re-imagined high school experience where students are truly ready for college or ready for a high-wage career, as opposed to just walking students across the stage with a diploma. I want them to walk across the stage with a diploma that has value.
School choice
Garrett: So let’s talk about education savings accounts. On March 1, parents can start applying. What are you expecting the demand will be? A lot of public school systems are very nervous.
Brumley: One either believes in educational freedom or they don’t. And I do. And I’ve been pretty clear on this for a long time, that while the overwhelming majority
of families select their neighborhood school, and that’s good, we need to have other options, like high-quality public charters. We need to protect the independence from government of home schoolers and their families.
Roberts: What do you expect the impact of the ESAs to be on the districts themselves?
Brumley: I think that competition will lift all the boats, and I think that responsive systems will use this as an opportunity to keep getting better, and a satisfied parent is not going to leave their school.
Garrett: But overall enrollment in the public schools in the state is down. So what do you attribute that to?
Brumley: First of all, Louisiana is the only state in the South that has seen population loss over the last decade. There is a Southern renaissance taking place of which Louisiana has previously not been a part. Over a 10-year period, the loss of students in the public system is around 5%. The loss of students in the private system is about 11%, so what that suggests to me is, while schools have to get better, it’s an economic issue. Families are leaving the state, or because the job market isn’t strong enough, families are no longer able to participate in private education. So it’s important that economic policies improve, that insurance rates go down, that health care is more accessible. And if we want Louisiana to experience that renaissance, these issues across all these sectors have to improve.
Roberts: Earlier this year, your name was floated in some publications as a potential nominee for federal secretary of education. What do you think the role of the federal government in education should be?
Brumley: I’ve always said education is best as a local enterprise, and count me in the number that believes the Department of Education should not exist. But at the same time, if that is true, states have to lead. States have to ensure that children get a highquality education.
Garrett: Another group of students that have specific concerns are students with special needs. And as you know, the Legislative Auditor criticized the way the state oversees those programs. What changes are you making? What can you tell those parents?
Brumley: So many of the special education policies had not been updated in 20 years, and we commissioned independent reviews of this. We worked with the Legislative Auditor, and we’ve made a number of shifts so that families are able to access support in a meaningful way For instance, we placed the state’s first-ever special education ombudsman where a family can call and get support. I’ve gone in and placed a special master in the EBR school system because of concerning activities, patterns of activities related to special education. If you look at the Nation’s Report Card, special education students in Louisiana outperformed the national average. So I think a combination of working with other agencies and families and educators has prompted the improvements, and I think it’s important, because every kid deserves an education that fits for them.
Roberts: The Ten Commandments bill has been much in the news, obviously What effect, if any, do you think the law is going to have on districts, on teachers and on students?
Brumley: So the Legislature overwhelmingly passed this bill, and I was present when the governor enthusiastically signed this bill.
I agree with the governor and the attorney general that the Ten Commandments have played a role in the development of the country I agree that they’re good laws to live by, and we’ll see how it plays out in the court system, but we feel confident in our position.
Pandemic decisions
Roberts: You took this job when the pandemic was still very much an [ongoing concern]. What special challenges did you have then, and how did those effects linger in your job now?
Brumley: We’ve had the opportunity to lead through an unprecedented time in American history We faced a global pandemic, multiple catastrophic hurricanes, ice storms, social unrest, terrorism, and I believe that through all of those moments, my agency has been there for educators, families and students, and there certainly was not a playbook for leading through a global pandemic. I pushed to keep schools open. I pushed to end the unnecessary quarantine of children. I pushed
for vaccines to be voluntary based on the desires of a parent, and we pushed for academic outcomes to improve through that process. And I think that history will tell us that the decisions made in Louisiana relative to education through the pandemic were the right ones.
Political climate
Garrett: So you’ve worked through a number of different administrations in this job. Tell us what’s changed since we’ve gotten a new governor
Brumley: I’m really excited about this moment that we have, because you have a situation where you have a governor, a state Legislature, a state board of education and Louisiana Department of Education that are all aligned on what we’re trying to accomplish. And this year has been the first year that we’ve had that. That was not the case for the previous term. You had a Democrat governor, you had a Republican-controlled Legislature and you had a BESE split along party lines, and that fractured government made for complex navigation, whereas today you have a unique moment of alignment between multiple branches of government.
Garrett: So there’s no one stat that you are looking to move?
Brumley: We have to continue to expand freedom for families. I want more options for families. I want greater proficiency rates in academic content. I want higher graduation rates with diplomas of value, and I want the education system to be a catalyst for economic revival in the state of Louisiana.
Roberts: How do you take that increased freedom into [rural] parishes?
Brumley: I believe in the market. And I believe that the market will meet the demand. I don’t sit in an ivory tower and do this job. I’m a product of rural education. I led a rural system, but also led the largest, most urban school system in the state of Louisiana. So when I have conversations with individuals I can relate to what those challenges are. Heck, I can go drive the school bus, so I understand the system. Garrett: You can really drive a school bus?
Brumley: I can parallel park a school bus. I should take all the kids to school.
STAFF PHOTO by HILAry ScHeINUK
Louisiana Superintendent of education cade brumley at the department’s headquarters in baton rouge.
Arnessa Garrett Faimon Roberts
New Orleans Forecast
Sister Elma Olivera, SSF (nee Elma Louise Olivera) the daughter of the late Timothy Olivera and Rosiebell Monroe Olivera, entered eternal life on Sun‐day, February 16, 2025. She was born on September 15, 1929, in Belize City, Belize, Central America. She was 95 years old. Sister Elma entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family on September 10, 1947, made First Vows on August 15, 1950, and Final Vows on August 15, 1955. In preparation for and during her journey of 53 plus years in elementary and secondary education, Sis‐ter Elma earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from the College of Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, a M. Ed from USL (ULL) in Lafayette, Louisiana and M.R.E. from Loyola Univer‐sity in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sister began her teaching career at St Joan of Arc elementary in New Orleans in 1950 and re‐mained there until 1958 when she was transferred to Stann Creek Town (Dan‐griga) to teach at Austin High School From 19631967, Sister Elma attended College of Mount St Joseph in Ohio. From19671970, Sister served as prin‐cipal of Holy Family in Tulsa, Oklahoma She was in the exchange program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a year 1970-1971. From 1971-1974, Sister Elma re‐turned to the following schools in Louisiana: St Francis Xavier, Baton Rouge; St Mary’s Acad‐emy, New Orleans; and St Paul the Apostle New Or‐leans as principal. For three years after Sister ministered as principal in Belize Central America at Holy Angels Primary in the Stann Creek Valley and later taught at Stann Creek Ecumenical High School in Dangriga Sister returned to the United States and the classroom for the next 28 years, teaching at St Mary’s Academy New Or‐leans, Regina Caeli High, Compton, California Our Lady of Victory elemen‐tary, Compton, Holy Rosary Institute, Lafayette LA Holy Ghost, Opelousas, LA Then she went back to Regina Caeli, Compton, re‐named Queen of Angels From 2000 – 2007 Sister served in Pastoral Ministry in St Joan of Arc parish, New Orleans and St Fran‐cis Xavier in Baton Rouge When Sister Elma returned to the motherhouse in 2009 and in the ensuing years, she was sacristan, assis‐tant in the Development Office and Prayer Warrior Almost two years, when she transitioned to Lafon Nursing Facility, sister con‐tinued her Prayer Ministry with the other sisters and residents Sister Elma will be missed for her engaging stories and her elegant manner Sister Elma Oliv‐era was preceded in death by her parents her sisters: Daisy Olivera, Constance Locke and brothers: Nicholas and Alvin Olivera, host of beloved nieces nephews, students, friends and Sisters of the Holy Family Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, February 20 2025, at the Chapel of the Sisters of the Holy Family on 6901 Chef Menteur Blvd NOLA 70126. Visitation be‐gins at 8:00 a.m. Wake ser‐vices begin at 9:15 a.m and Mass of Christian Bur‐ial at 10:00 a.m Interment at St. Louis Cemetery # 2 Arrangements entrusted to Majestic Mortuary 504-5235872.
from the College of Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, a M. Ed from USL (ULL) in Lafayette, Louisiana and M.R.E. from Loyola Univer‐sity in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sister began her teaching career at St Joan of Arc elementary in New Orleans in 1950 and re‐mained there until 1958 when she was transferred to Stann Creek Town (Dan‐griga) to teach at Austin High School From 19631967, Sister Elma attended College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio From19671970, Sister served as prin‐cipal of Holy Family in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was in the exchange program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a year 1970-1971. From 1971-1974, Sister Elma re‐turned to the following schools in Louisiana: St Francis Xavier, Baton Rouge; St. Mary’s Acad‐emy, New Orleans; and St. Paul the Apostle, New Or‐leans as principal For three years after Sister ministered as principal in Belize, Central America at Holy Angels Primary in the Stann Creek Valley and later taught at Stann Creek Ecumenical High School in Dangriga. Sister returned to the United States and the classroom for the next 28 years, teaching at St Mary’s Academy, New Or‐leans, Regina Caeli High, Compton California, Our Lady of Victory elemen‐tary, Compton, Holy Rosary Institute, Lafayette, LA, Holy Ghost, Opelousas, LA. Then she went back to Regina Caeli, Compton, re‐named Queen of Angels From 2000 – 2007 Sister served in Pastoral Ministry in St. Joan of Arc parish, New Orleans and St. Fran‐cis Xavier in Baton Rouge. When Sister Elma returned to the motherhouse in 2009 and in the ensuing years, she was sacristan assis‐tant in the Development Office and Prayer Warrior Almost two years, when she transitioned to Lafon Nursing Facility, sister con‐tinued her Prayer Ministry with the other sisters and residents. Sister Elma will be missed for her engaging stories and her elegant manner. Sister Elma Oliv‐era was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters: Daisy Olivera, Constance Locke and brothers: Nicholas and Alvin Olivera, host of beloved nieces nephews, students, friends and Sisters of the Holy Family. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at the Chapel of the Sisters of the Holy Family on 6901 Chef Menteur Blvd. NOLA 70126. Visitation be‐gins at 8:00 a.m Wake ser‐vices begin at 9:15 a.m. and Mass of Christian Bur‐ial at 10:00 a.m Interment at St. Louis Cemetery # 2 Arrangements entrusted to Majestic Mortuary 504-5235872.
Ricard, Edna Theresa Collins
Edna Theresa Collins Ri‐card, 84, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2025, Born September 15 1940, in New Orleans, she was the daughter of the late Harold and Louise Collins She is survived by her husband, Melvin Ri‐card, Sr.; children Shirlene Trudy, Kim, Melvin Jr , Rickey, and Tellisa; siblings Christine Hypolite Carolyn Stokes, and Sylvia Gross; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren She was preceded in death by her daughter Carol. Ser‐vice February 20,2025 All Saints Catholic Church 1441 Teche NO,La70114 Of‐ficiating Fr Fred Kaddu Viewing: 9:00 a.m. Final Viewing 11:15 a.m. Service 11:30 a.m
Richardson Sr., Hayes W Hayes W. Richardson Sr., entered eternal rest on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at the age of 83. Loving husband of Lilly Brown Richardson Beloved father of the late Pamela Richard‐son Elliott, Darlene Richardson Jones, Hayes W. Richardson, Jr (Shel‐phili) and Tisha Starks Givens Brother of
Hayes W. Richardson, Sr entered eternal rest on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at the age of 83. Loving husband of Lilly Brown Richardson. Beloved father of the late Pamela Richard‐son Elliott, Darlene Richardson Jones, Hayes W Richardson, Jr. (Shel‐phili) and Tisha Starks Givens. Brother of Lawrence Parker Sr Also survived by ten grandchil‐dren, seven great-grand‐children a host of other relatives and friends Rela‐tives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral. A Celebration service honoring the life and legacy of the late Hayes W Richardson, Sr., will be held at My Re‐deemer Missionary Baptist Church, 2829 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113 on Saturday, Febru‐ary 22, 2025, at 10 am In‐terment Providence Memo‐rial Park and Mausoleum Visitation 9 am in the church Please sign online guestbook at www cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com Due to the surge in Covid/RSV/Flu face mask and social distancing strongly encouraged Char‐bonnet Labat Glapion Di‐rectors (504) 581-4411.
Jr., Louis
Minister Louis Thomas Jr., age 83, was born on July 27, 1941, in New Or‐leans, LA He departed this earthly home on Saturday February 8, 2025. Louis was the loving uncle of Carlotta Navarre (Albert) and Zina Woodard (Michael) Beloved Godfather of Renita Redmond Samuel and Jane Jones Gibson Louis was preceded in death by his parents Louis (Thomas) Tolmas and Rachel Jones Joseph; his stepfather Charlie Joseph; his son Emanuel Russell; his brothers Cyril Bour‐geois (Dorothy) and Louis Tolmas, Jr.; his grandpar‐ents David Jones and Nancy Jones; his niece An‐drea Bourgeois Lee; and his goddaughter Laurette Steele Bernard. Relatives and friends of the family also Pastor, officers and members of Greater Asia B.C., St John M.B.C. #1 & #2 St John Faith Church Standing For God Ministry, all neighboring churches
Minister Louis Thomas, Jr., age 83, was born on July 27, 1941, in New Or‐leans, LA. He departed this earthly home on Saturday February 8, 2025. Louis was the loving uncle of Carlotta Navarre (Albert) and Zina Woodard (Michael). Beloved Godfather of Renita Redmond Samuel and Jane Jones Gibson Louis was preceded in death by his parents Louis (Thomas) Tolmas and Rachel Jones Joseph; his stepfather Charlie Joseph; his son Emanuel Russell; his brothers Cyril Bour‐geois (Dorothy) and Louis Tolmas, Jr.; his grandpar‐ents David Jones and Nancy Jones; his niece An‐drea Bourgeois Lee; and his goddaughter Laurette Steele Bernard. Relatives and friends of the family also Pastor, officers and members of Greater Asia B.C., St John M.B.C. #1 & #2, St. John Faith Church, Standing For God Ministry all neighboring churches and employees and staff of University Medical Center and Passage Santuary are invited to attend the Cele‐bration of Life Service on Saturday, February 22, 2025 at Greater Asia Baptist Church, 3708 St Bernard Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70122 at 10:00 a.m Visita‐tion from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m Pastor Mary Rogers, Officiating Inter‐ment Mount Olivet Ceme‐tery, 4000 Norman Mayer Avenue New Orleans LA 70122. You may sign the guest book on www ger trudegeddeswillis Gertrude Geddes Willis Fu‐neral Home, Inc., in charge (504) 522-2525.
Clarence Anthony Virgil, born August 1, 1989 to Veronica Virgil and the late Clarence Dorsey, entered eternal rest on February 12 2025 at the age of 35. He was a native of New Or‐leans, La Relatives and friends of the family are in‐vited to attend the Funeral Service on Saturday, Febru‐ary 22, 2025 at Majestic Mortuary 1833 Oretha Cas‐tle Haley Blvd, New Or‐leans, La 70113 at 10:00 am Visitation begins at 9:00am. Interment private Due to COVID-19, everyone attending is encouraged to wear masks and adhere to social distancing. Profes‐sional Arrangements en‐trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ary Service, Inc (504) 5235872.
Warning, John Fredrick 'DJ PUG'
John Fredrick (DJ PUG) Warning, entered eternal rest on February 12, 2025 at his home, at the age of 57 He was born August 2, 1967 in New Orleans LA Son of the late Arthur Sr. and An‐nise Warning Father of the late Johnae Warning He at‐tended and graduated from Francis T Nicholls High School John was a truck driver for Christiana (US Foods) and LaFarge He was a member of Third Rose of Sharon Baptist Church where he was an Honorary Deacon He leaves to cherish his mem‐ories, his loving wife She‐lita Johnson Warning daughter Ashley Warning, his son Aaron Washington, his granddaughter Zoey Burns He was the Godfa‐ther of Devon Warning, Erin Clayton and Jonah Perry Brother of Timothy George (Kay), Arthur Warning (Diane) Dennis Warning (Gerallen), Betty Harrison (Bryan) Donald Warning (Denise), Ronald Warning and the late Michael Warn‐ing Brother-in-law of Kim and Leon Davis, Desmond and Michelle Johnson Joanetta and Stanley An‐derson John Perry III, Tara Johnson (Clarence Evans), Kevin Jones (Ronnise) Damon Johnson, Sr. and Cornell Minor. Father-inlaw John Perry, Jr and Mother-in-law Roslyn Perry Best friend of Mer‐rick Lee. He is also sur‐vived by a host of nieces nephews, cousins and friends Relatives and friends of the family, also Pastor officers and mem‐bers of Third Rose of Sharon Baptist Church and employees of Dorignac's Food Center, Dominos Sugar Refinery in Chal‐mette and City Park Police Dept. are invited to attend the Celebration of Life Ser‐vice on Saturday February 22, 2025 for 10:00 a.m at Third Rose of Sharon Bap‐tist Church 2132 Third Street New Orleans, La 70113. Rev Kendrick C Allen Sr officiating Visita‐tion from 9:00 a.m until 10:00 a.m Entombment: Mt Olivet Mausoleum,
Warning, John Fredrick 'DJ PUG' John Fredrick (DJ PUG) Warning, entered eternal rest on February 12, 2025 at his home, at the age of 57. He was born August 2, 1967 in New Orleans, LA. Son of the late Arthur Sr. and An‐nise Warning. Father of the late Johnae Warning He at‐tended and graduated from Francis T. Nicholls High School John was a truck driver for Christiana (US Foods) and LaFarge. He was a
Sugar Refinery in Chal‐mette and City Park Police Dept. are invited to attend the Celebration of Life
vice on Saturday February 22, 2025 for 10:00 a.m at Third Rose of Sharon Bap‐tist Church 2132 Third Street New Orleans, La. 70113. Rev Kendrick C Allen, Sr. officiating Visita‐tion from 9:00 a.m until 10:00 a.m Entombment: Mt. Olivet Mausoleum, 4000 Norman Mayer Ave New Orleans, LA 70122. Arrange‐ments Entrusted To Estelle J Wilson Funeral Home, Inc. 2715 Danneel Street NOLA 70113. Information: (504) 895-4903. To sign on‐line guest book please visit www estellejwilsonfh com
Ethel Marie Hernandez Chabert Winterstein entered Eternal Rest on Friday, February 7, 2025, at the age of 87 .Wife of the late Woodrow W. Chabertdivorced, and the late Philip D. Winterstein Mother of Kim Marie Chabert andstep-mother of Melissa Winterstein Olsen. Ethel is survived by her daughter Kim, stepdaughter Melissa, stepgrandchildren,Daniel and Stacey andstep-greatgrandchildren,Colton, Genevieve, Riley and her brother Ronald J. Hernandez plus many nieces andnephews. Daughter of thelate Eusebe A. Hernandez and the late Hanora Picou Hernandez.
ACelebration of Life Mass will be at Mary Help of Christians Church, 601 Second Ave. Harvey, LA on Saturday, February 22, 2025. visitation from 10 AM until 11:30 AM, Mass at 11:30 AM. ContributionstoSaint Jude Hospital, would be appreciated. Online obituary at neptunesociety.com
Richardson Sr., Hayes W
Thomas Jr., Louis
Olivera SSF, Sister Elma
Winterstein, Ethel Marie
Virgil, Clarence Anthony
Thomas
SPORTS
Williams ‘fantastic’ for LSU despite lack of time
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
Mike Williams was ready to let if fly from anywhere.
The LSU men’s basketball guard showcased his deep range on his first 3-point attempt against South Carolina on Tuesday night. The sophomore jab-stepped his defender who was hit by a ball screen, rose from 28 feet and drained the long-range shot
“It’s normal,” Williams said. “That’s me. That’s who I am.”
Williams’ outside shot was one of several aspects that allowed LSU to outplay South Carolina 81-67 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center The Tigers have won back-toback games after dropping seven consecutive during Southeastern Conference play
LSU (14-12, 3-10 SEC) has risen from ranked 81st to 76th on KenPom as of Tuesday after having its first double-digit win since Dec. 29. Those are the effects of an offense that had a 50% field-goal percentage, 45.2% 3-point percentage and 13 made 3s — all highs in conference play Williams’ play had a lot to do with his team’s success against the Gamecocks (1017, 0-13). He had a season-high 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting and one turnover in 14 minutes. He was the team’s second-leading scorer, and his three 3-pointers were a teamhigh.
This positive showing is a stark contrast to his overall season, where he is scoring 3.3 points on 32.7% from the field and playing 8.1 minutes per game. Nine times he did not enter a game this season when he was active.
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
One afternoon in September, Sa’Myah Smith sat on a folding chair, rubbed her surgically repaired knee and encouraged more than two dozen middle-school students to set goals.
A new season was only a few weeks away, but here was the LSU women’s basketball forward visiting a small, dark gym at Glasgow Middle School, only about 10 months into her recovery from suffering an injury that cut a promising sophomore year short Smith had decided to start a mentorship program, and this stop was her first.
“Keep reminding yourself why you’re doing it,” she told the kids.
That advice lifted Smith through the recovery process from the second major knee injury of her career, the
CFP seeding in crosshairs of SEC, Big Ten leaders
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
Commissioners from the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten revealed little Wednesday of the agenda they have for the College Football Playoff going forward after meeting in New Orleans, other than they want an end to the automatic byes received by the top four conference champions in this past season’s expanded 12-team playoff. That proposal is expected to be met with opposition by representatives of the eight other conferences and Notre Dame, which with the SEC and Big Ten make up the CFP Management Committee. That group holds its meeting Tuesday in Dallas. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti wrapped up talks that began Sunday at the Windsor Court Hotel with their leagues’ athletic directors and football coaches. While both men stopped short of calling the meeting an “alignment” of the two conferences, their
discussions are expected to establish an agenda for how college athletics’ two most powerful conferences want football and other sports to be governed. Neither Sankey nor Petitti was willing to spell out his wishes for how the CFP will be structured in the future beyond their joint support for going to straight seeding for the playoff based on the selection committee’s rankings. “That’s something we owe our colleagues first,” said Sankey, referring to the upcoming meeting in Dallas “I think I’ve been consistent in that observation.”
However, reports widely have circulated that the two leagues support an expansion of the CFP to 14 or 16 teams, with at least four guaranteed bids for both leagues. One popular model reserves only two guaranteed bids for the Big 12 and ACC, one for the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion and one for Notre Dame,
ä See CFP, page 5C
ACL, MCL and meniscus tears that shelved her for all but seven games of the 2023-24 season. This year — and the role she’s now filling for the No. 7 Tigers served as the light at the end of that long, dark tunnel that divided her from the game.
“That’s my life,” Smith said Wednesday “That’s the thing that I love to do. I do it every single day I work my butt off. Just being away from that, it was hard.”
It’s easy to forget what that injury derailed. Before her true sophomore season ended, Smith had posted two 20-point games, two 10-rebound games and two threeblock games. She had even started three of the seven contests next to Angel Reese and ahead of Aneesah Morrow, who’s now on pace to finish an illustrious career with the third-most rebounds in NCAA Division I history Then Smith had to start over LSU post player Smith reestablishing presence after knee injury
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
LSU forward Sa’myah Smith soars to the hoop against Auburn forward Taylen collins in the fourth quarter of their game on Jan. 5 at the Pete maravich Assembly center STAFF FILe PHOTO by mIcHAeL JOHNSON
See LSU, page 5C
ä See WILLIAMS, page 5C
STAFF PHOTO by HILAry ScHeINUK
LSU guard mike Williams celebrates a 3-pointer against South carolina on Tuesday at the Pete maravich Assembly center
AP FILe PHOTO by mATT KeLLey Pelicans guard Javonte Green drives
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NOTEBOOK
Saints make move to improve health
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
The New Orleans Saints were one of the most injured teams in the NFL last season, and they are making changes to their sports science staff in an attempt to get healthier
The Saints have hired Ted Rath as the team’s director of sports science, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Rath’s title previously belonged to Matt Rhea, who had been with the Saints since 2022 Rath joins the Saints after spending four seasons (2020-23) as the director of sports performance for the Philadelphia Eagles. He did not, however, overlap with new Saints coach Kellen Moore, who served as the Eagles offensive coordinator this past season Rath, 41, also has been a strength and conditioning coach with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams. With the Rams, he was known as Sean McVay‘s “get back” coach, responsible for pulling McVay out of the way when he got too close to the referees or game action
In 2019, Rath was found not guilty on three counts of misdemeanor sexual battery after he was arrested on Jan. 15. He was accused of touching a woman inappropriately while she was sleeping in June 2018, according to the Ventura County Star After his acquittal, Rath was reinstated from a leave of absence and was not disciplined by the NFL.
Last season, the Saints saw numerous starters and key contributors lost for extended stretches because of injuries. Specifically, soft-tissue injuries such as hamstring and groin issues were a problem.
“Those are the things that you immediately think, well, there’s things you can do to prevent that,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said at the end of the season “I think that’s probably the first
place we start. Those are things we have to really look at hard and say, ‘Hey, how can we do a better job keeping our guys on the field?’”
Galiano stays
The Saints are finalizing a deal with Phil Galiano to make him the team’s next special teams coordinator, a source with knowledge of the situation said
The deal would give Galiano a formal promotion, as he has been with the Saints since 2019, working as an assistant special teams coach. But with Darren Rizzi leaving to accept a job with the Denver Broncos, New Orleans had a vacancy at the coordinator level. Moore opted to fill the role internally
Galiano is the second known member from last year’s coaching staff to stick around under Moore. New Orleans also has retained
wide receivers coach Keith Williams
Last year, Galiano got the opportunity to oversee the Saints’ special teams after Rizzi was promoted to interim head coach. In that eight-game stretch, the unit had several blocked field goals.
Cap jump
For the second straight year, the NFL’s salary cap came in higher than expected. The league informed teams Wednesday that the salary cap next year is expected to fall between $277.5 million and $281.5 million, a significant jump from last year’s $255.4 million. The increase is a benefit particularly for a team like the Saints, who were projected to be more than $50 million over the cap and have to become cap compliant by the start of the new league year next month.
Previous estimates had next year’s figure around $272 million.
The NFL’s salary cap has increased by more than $53 million over the last two seasons. Last year’s spike saw an unprecedented increase of $30 million, which the league said was the result of “full repayment of all amounts advanced by the clubs and deferred by players during the Covid pandemic” and an “extraordinary increase in media revenue.”
The Saints are facing several major decisions this offseason as they look to navigate the cap. Among them, the team has to decide what to do with starting quarterback Derek Carr — whose release would carry a $50 million dead-cap hit but would go a long way toward reshaping their books for 2026.
Staff writer Luke Johnson contributed to this report
Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
College baseball set for landscape shift
BY ERIC OLSON APsportswriter
The Division I baseball season is less than a week old, and coaches already are planning for 2026 when it’s all but certain scholarship limits will be removed, rosters downsized and players will have opportunities to make more money
They expect the fallout to be fewer opportunities for high school recruits at the top level of the sport, especially if the NCAA adopts a proposal that would extend eligibility from four to five years. They also predict a greater imbalance in competition.
All is contingent on a federal judge approving the settlement of antitrust allegations against the NCAA and the nation’s biggest conferences. A hearing is set for April 7 and changes would go into effect July 1, a few days after the baseball season. The framework for baseball would cap rosters at 34 with no scholarship limit for schools that opt in to the revenue-sharing model tied to the House settlement. Currently there’s a 40-man limit during the season and a maximum of 11.7 scholarships that can be spread among up to 32 players.
“I still think the majority of teams are going to be giving partial scholarships to at least part of their roster,” Nebraska coach Will Bolt said. “Reading the tea leaves, it doesn’t look like anyone is going to come up with 34 fulls.”
Auburn athletic director John Cohen, previously head coach at Mississippi State and Kentucky doubted the new rules would shake
AP FILe PHOTO by SeAN rAyFOrD clemson coach erik bakich jogs across the field before a game against High Point in clemson, S.c., on may 31.
up college baseball’s power structure. Only about half of the more than 300 Division I programs currently award 11.7 scholarships, and many of the ones that do could at least double that number next year Programs that don’t award 11.7 now still might struggle to offer that many going forward. With just a handful of programs generating a profit, financial constraints preclude big scholarship increases at most schools without additional fundraising.
The House settlement also would allow athletic departments to share up to $20.5 million in revenue among athletes across all sports starting next school year Football and men’s basketball players would be expected to receive the lion’s share How much is
available to baseball players likely would be a fraction of what athletes in revenue-producing sports get and could amount to little or nothing for programs outside the Power Four
Most players now receive partial scholarships and try to capitalize on opportunities allowing them to make money on their name, image and likeness. According to Opendorse’s 2024 annual report, the top 25-earning baseball players could expect to make just under $48,000 per year based on deals tracked by the NIL platform from 2021-24.
Cohen said that figure seems low
“What I know about NIL currently is there is no accurate way to illustrate who’s doing what,” he said, “so it’s hard to speak intelligently about NIL because what you’re relying on is third-party information. You hear things and you just aren’t sure what to believe.”
Clemson coach Erik Bakich said he thought the $48,000 figure seemed high. Either way he said, NIL money is not lucrative for the vast majority of baseball players.
“The majority of NIL in college baseball has been about paying your bills, not play for pay,” Bakich said. “College baseball players are using NIL dollars to pay for cost of attendance. I’m for anything that reduces out-of-pocket cost for parents and anything that eliminates the need for any college kid to take out any type of loan debt.”
Coaches said an often-overlooked consequence of roster reductions would be the squeeze it puts on high school prospects, especially at the top end of Division I. Bolt said he had honest and difficult conversations with some of
LSU vs. Nicholls baseball games get rescheduled
LSU baseball’s matchups against Nicholls State have been rescheduled to Monday at Alex Box Stadium and April 8 in Thibodaux, LSU announced Wednesday Monday’s game and the rematch on April 8 are set to begin at 6 p.m. The Tigers were supposed to face Nicholls on the road Wednesday but the game was moved “due to extremely cold and inclement weather in south Louisiana.” Nicholls’ trip to Alex Box Stadium originally was scheduled for April 8. With that game now being on Monday ticket-holders planning on attending must show their Game 23 tickets to be admitted into the stadium. LSU owns a 4-0 record after sweeping Purdue Fort Wayne on opening weekend and taking down Southern on Tuesday Nicholls is 2-2.
LSU running back Holly’s trial date set in shooting A trial date has been set for LSU running back Trey Holly, a significant development in his case after he was charged in connection with a shooting last year in Union Parish. Holly’s trial will begin July 7 in Farmerville, his attorney Mike Small told The Advocate after a hearing Wednesday He faces one felony count of illegal use of a weapon or dangerous instrumentality Holly and two others were arrested after a shooting took place Feb. 9, 2024, at the Union Villa Apartments in Farmerville. Two people were injured by gunshot wounds. Holly now a redshirt sophomore, has been indefinitely suspended from the team since his arrest in accordance with departmental policies, LSU said.
Eagles promote Patullo to OC to replace Moore
PHILADELPHIA The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have promoted Kevin Patullo to offensive coordinator following the departure of Kellen Moore, the team announced Wednesday Patullo joined the Eagles’ staff as passing game coordinator in 2021 when coach Nick Sirianni was hired, and he became associate head coach in 2023.
Patullo takes over an offense that was second in the NFL in rushing under Moore, who was hired as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints two days after the Eagles beat Kansas City in the Super Bowl.
Patullo’s first job in the NFL was as an offensive assistant and quality control coach with the Chiefs in 2007.
Williams gets wild-card entry for Indian Wells
his players last fall about where they fit in and whether they should consider transferring, perhaps to a lower division. Bolt typically has carried 45 or 50 players in the fall. The NCAA fall roster limit remains fluid but coaches have recommended it be 38 with the cutdown to 34 on Dec. 1.
Bolt said it takes the typical freshman about three semesters to show whether he can be successful in Division I The window of opportunity probably will shrink after this year
“Unless you’re a top-100 (high school) prospect or unless you’re turning down significant money in the draft to go to college and it’s a no-brainer you can play at the Division I level as a freshman, the junior college route does become a very desirable option,” Bolt said.
The shortening of the Major League Baseball amateur draft from 40 rounds to 20 beginning in 2021 has kept more players in college longer The transfer portal has allowed teams to fill immediate needs rather than roll the dice with young players. And teams would get older yet if there’s passage of a proposal now under consideration to extend athlete eligibility from four to five competitive seasons.
Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said all those factors mean promising high school players who don’t project to be an immediate starting position player or key member of the pitching staff will be passed over in coming years.
“With a roster of 34, you don’t have room to keep a whole bunch of guys around to develop, which is tough because that’s something we’ve done a lot of,” Canham said.
INDIAN WELLS, Calif Venus Williams received a wild-card entry Wednesday for the BNP Paribas Open, which would make next month’s tournament in Indian Wells, California, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion’s first event in nearly a full year The 44-year-old Williams hasn’t competed anywhere on tour since a first-round loss at the Miami Open on March 19, 2024. That was less than two weeks after she lost her opening match at Indian Wells. Her first appearance at Indian Wells came in 1994. Williams won five titles at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open in singles, along with 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her younger sister, Serena. The BNP Paribas Open runs from March 2-16.
Chargers to play 2025 season opener in Brazil
LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Chargers will play their 2025 season opener in Brazil, making the franchise the first to play on five continents, the NFL announced Wednesday The Chargers’ opponent is expected to be announced in May, when the NFL’s regularseason schedule is released. The Chargers will be the home team for the Friday, Sept. 5 game at Neo Quimica Arena in São Paulo. The venue hosted a Week 1 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers last season in the first NFL game in South America. Led by quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers finished 11-6 in 2024 in their first season under coach Jim Harbaugh before losing 32-12 to Houston in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by breTT DUKe
New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann mathieu right, fist-bumps assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano during an organized team activity in metairie on may 21. The Saints have promoted Galiano to special teams coordinator
Banks exits lull to lead
BY GUERRY SMITH contributing writer
Welcome back, Kaleb Banks. Banks, Tulane’s leading scorer for the year but nearly a no-show offensively in the previous four games, was aggressive from the start against East Carolina and poured in 25 points as the Green Wave beat the Pirates 86-81 at home on Wednesday night
Banks also swatted away three shots and grabbed seven rebounds in an all-around dominant performance against one of the hottest teams in the American Athletic Conference. The Pirates had won six of their past eight but found themselves playing catch-up after the Wave went on a 13-2 run in the first 4:30.
Trailing by 18 at the eight-minute mark, East Carolina pulled within 85-81 on a 3-pointer with 15.9 seconds left. After Mari Jordan hit one of two free throws, Tulane freshman Kam Williams blocked a desperation 3-point attempt — the Wave’s ninth block of the night after having 10 on Saturday against Rice — and the ball went out of bounds off the Pirates with five seconds left.
Banks had scored four six two and two points the previous four games, averaging only 41/2 shot attempts in that span. This time, he took five shots before the second media timeout, and once an open 3-pointer fell early against East Carolina’s zone defense, he stayed in rhythm from there, connecting
on 8 of 11 shots overall while tying his AAC scoring high from midJanuary against Florida Atlantic.
“It was just seeing the ball go in the basket for the most part,” he said. “That felt good to me to get my confidence up.” Tulane (15-11, 9-4) pulled a half-
during the NbA All-Star Game on Sunday in San Francisco.
BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer
Kevin Durant went back to the Bay Area last weekend He’s now going back to school.
A nostalgic time for Phoenix’s All-Star forward continues Thursday, when Durant and the Suns play San Antonio in Austin, Texas a home game for the Spurs and a homecoming for Durant, since the game brings him back to where he played his one college season with the Longhorns.
“It does mean a lot to me,” Durant said. “I’m excited that we get to go back to play a regular-season game there. Austin is a place where I kind of started this journey, and to have so many friends and family that are still there from, what, 16, 17 years ago is pretty sweet. So, I appreciate the NBA for setting this up. This is a unique time.”
Durant’s lone season in Austin was 2006-07, and he was college basketball’s best player that year He averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, finishing the season ranked fourth nationally in both of those categories on his way to being selected as player of the year by The Associated Press and a number of other outlets. He declared for the draft after that season, went No. 2 overall to Seattle in 2007 and the accolades keep piling up. Durant is the only men’s player in USA Basketball history to win four Olympic gold medals, he won two championships with Golden State — returning to the Bay this past weekend after being selected as an All-Star for the 15th time — and just
became the eighth player in NBA history to eclipse the 30,000-point mark
“I think it’s an awesome opportunity for himself and for the city of Austin to come out and support one of our great players who is still in the prime of his career right now,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said.
“He’s scored over 30,000 points, he’s one of the alltime scorers at the next level, one of the all-time scorers at the collegiate level. But to have an opportunity come back where you played collegiately, to play a professional game against one of the best organizations in all of professional sports in the Spurs, you can’t ask for a better scenario.”
This is the third consecutive season where the Spurs have played two home games in Austin, about 75 miles northeast of San Antonio. The Spurs see Austin as part of a mega-region that they’ve been cultivating for years, even stretching into Mexico — and this year’s home games help break up the annual rodeo road trip. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo typically sends the Spurs on the road for much of February, so this year’s games in Austin break up that window The Spurs also play in Austin on Friday against Detroit. The Suns got to Austin on Tuesday and one of Durant’s first stops was the Longhorns’ practice. “I’m going to try to roam around the city a little bit,” Durant said this past weekend when asked if he had plans to check out some of his favorite places in Austin “I don’t have a set schedule, but I’ve got some stuff I want to see.”
game ahead of Florida Atlantic for fourth place in the AAC and is only two games back of league-leading Memphis. East Carolina (15-12, 7-7) lost any realistic shot of climbing to the top four and the double bye in the league tournament it would entail.
Rowan Brumbaugh added 21 points and seven assists for Tulane. Williams hit two early 3s and finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting as the Wave was in total control for the first 32 minutes before drawing coach Ron Hunter’s ire for relaxing down the stretch.
Tulane led 46-32 at halftime even though it did neither of the things early that Hunter said would make him feel comfortable about winning a day before the game — control the defensive boards and limit transition baskets The Pirates had 10 offensive rebounds and scored 12 fast-break points in the first half but could not finish inside against the Green Wave’s rim protectors managing only one three-point play off of those extra chances.
The Wave had nine offensive rebounds of its own before the break, turning them into 11 points. On one possession, Banks skirted the sideline to corral an errant pass that appeared headed out of bounds, and an offensive board led to a 3-point shot from Jordan. It was a half of runs, but Tulane had more of them, beginning with a 13-2 spurt to go up 13-4. The Wave increased the lead to 31-18 with a 14-5 run before the teams traded consecutive spurts of 7-0 (East Carolina), 8-0 (Tulane), 7-0 (East Carolina) and 7-0 (Tulane) to close it out. Banks scored the final four points on a baseline drive that he finished through contact and a pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds left. Pirates forward C.J.Walker, who averaged 28 points
Jokic is getting better with age
BY PAT GRAHAM AP sports writer
DENVER The Denver Nuggets gathered around Nikola Jokic near the 3-point line Wednesday and belted out a rather off-key version of “ happy birthday ” in honor of him turning 30.
Usually so poised on the court, the three-time NBA MVP seemed almost bashful.
“I don’t like my birthday,” Jokic explained “Getting older.”
And better?
“Like wine,” he cracked. In a lot of ways, Jokic remains very much a kid at heart, right down to his new Peppa Pig-themed sneakers. But his game has certainly matured to the point where he keeps setting the bar higher and higher for himself and just might be in the midst of his finest season of them all. He’s averaging 29.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists.
In addition, he’s posted a league-leading 25 triple-doubles, which is just four shy of tying the franchise record he set in 2022-23.
His coach, Michael Malone, was stumped by just what might be the ceiling for his big man?
“Geez, I don’t know He keeps on pushing the envelope,” said Malone, whose team will host Charlotte on Thursday night. “When you’re dealing with greatness, you never want to put a ceiling on that. We want to give him room to grow and and watch that, because it’s really fun to be a part of that process.”
Jokic began suiting up for the Nuggets as a 20-year-old kid who needed to improve his fitness and hone his footwork. Over the past decade, he’s blossomed into one of the league’s most hard-tocontain players and led the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in 2023.
He’s married now with two young kids. He has a bronze medal he earned with Serbia last summer at the Paris Olympics. His sponsor, 361 Degrees, is getting ready to launch his signature shoe, which is inspired by Peppa Pig, the character in the long-running children’s series. (“They made it I like it. They’re going to be cool,” Jokic said.)
This season, he’s showing off the latest wrinkle to his game — long-range shooting. He’s hitting a careerbest 45% from beyond the 3-point line.
“He is playing the best basketball of his life,” Malone said. “At his heart, he’s still the same person.
He’s still Nikola Jokic from Sombor, Serbia. He’s never forgotten where he’s come from, or who’s helped him get here.”
Given his style of play, Malone believes Jokic could last in the league at an elite level for a while.
“The way (Jokic) dominates the game is with intelligence and skill, not athleticism,” Malone said. “He’s
not driving down the lane and dunking on people every night. So I think that bodes well for his longevity.”
That is, if the desire remains strong. He said that sticking around long enough so his kids can see him play is, “not going to be a factor for me.”
Jokic returned to town after competing for Chuck’s Global Stars in the All-Star
Game last weekend. He had two points in 10 minutes as his squad lost to Shaq’s OGs in the final. It wasn’t exactly his idea of rest and relaxation.
“Part of the business, part of the job,” Jokic said of his trip to San Francisco for the weekend festivities “I would rather be somewhere else it’s a blessing and a curse.”
ASSOcIATeD PreSS PHOTO by GODOFreDOA.VÁSQUeZ Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant shakes hands with barry bonds
THE VARSITY ZONE
Riverdale wins 1st playoff game since ’09
Joseph leads rebels past Kenner Discovery
BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer
Maryah Joseph has been the starting point guard for Riverdale since she was a freshman.
Now a junior, she has more teammates on the floor who can handle the ball just as well as she can And what a difference that has made. Riverdale won a district championship in girls basketball for the first time
since 2009, an d on We dnesday won a girls playoff game for the first time since that season.
Jo sep h scored a team-high 17 points as No. 9 seeded Riverdale (20-4) defeated No. 24 Kenner Discovery 61-33 in an LHSAA Division I select
playoff game. Joseph did not go at it alone. Senior post player Jenna Thibodeaux had 14 points and junior Mikayla Allen added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
“Going into this school year we never would have thought we would get this far, going to the second round,” Joseph said. “A lot of people at the school actually doubted us. But it’s OK All our team is going to do is
show them what we do best. I like that we’re doing that.”
Joseph played her first two high school seasons as the main point guard. But the addition of sophomore Disney Lewis (she moved from North Dakota) and freshman Cherisse Simmons has created new possibilities with a three-guard lineup.
Second-year coach Kiera Burke came into the season wanting a quicker-paced team on offense and defense. She installed a fullcourt pressure defense that
TOP OF THE HEAP
BY MIKE GEGENHEIMER
conttributing writer
No team dominates Louisiana high school soccer like the Newman girls. Fifteen times the Greenies hoisted the state championship trophy at the end of the year, the most of any school in any division, boys or girls. And none were bigger than Tuesday night. Literally No girls state championship dating to at least the 1980s featured a margin as wide as Newman’s 7-0 win over Loyola Prep, besting the previous record of a five-goal margin held by several teams.
It’s not the kind of record the Greenies were searching for as they fought for their third consecutive Division IV championship, but it is one they now proudly claim. Not only did they score more goals than anyone else, the goals were scored by seven different players
“I wasn’t expecting that,” senior Sarah Gibbs Smallpage said of the record performance. “It just shows how hard we fought and how much we put into this season.” Smallpage scored the first goal in the 24th minute when she put a header off a corner kick into the back of the net. From there, the game stagnated a bit with Newman going into halftime with a 1-0 lead despite a 7-2 advantage in shots.
Newman added to its lead in the 45th minute when Catherine Lapeyre ripped a shot into the upper right corner from 20 yards out. The Greenies added a third goal seven minutes later when Liliane Arjmand let it fly from roughly 30 yards out. Arjmand also contributed an assist
TUESDAY
to Avery Summerour’s goal in the 76th minute and was named Most Outstanding Player
“We all just got a lot more confident,” Arjmand said of the change in the second half. “Obviously the state championship, we’ve been here before. But it’s stressful. It’s nerve-wracking to be on this field and play in front of so many people. We all just got in the rhythm of it and knew we could do it.”
By the time Newman went up 3-0, the rout was on In the 60th minute, Newman’s Alyse Dulitz got on the scoresheet when a
AT A GLANCE
put the skills of those three guards to good use.
“The pressure defense is really our style that we like to play,” said Burke, who played at Dominican and has former high school teammate Ahjah Yunusah as an assistant coach. “I like to get after the ball. I like to play quick and upbeat. We get a lot of points and fast breaks and in transition.
“That’s what we did early on (against Kenner Discovery). We got after them.”
Riverdale used that pressure defense to build an 8-0
lead and later used a 23-0 run to increase the lead to 37-7 lead in the first half. The Rebels scored many of their points in the first half off turnovers, before they eased up on the pressure in a more evenly played second half.
Junior Chaela Alexander scored 13 points and made two 3-pointers for Kenner Discovery (13-19). Sophomore Lundyn Allen had 12 rebounds.
Riverdale advanced to play at No. 8 Alexandria (23-6) in the next round
Mount Carmel grinds out win in Div. I playoffs
Late run helps cubs top Higgins
BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer
Mount Carmel was looking to get redemption in the first round of the Division I select girls basketball playoffs after falling short last season. This year’s opening round saw No. 14-seeded Mount Carmel at home against No. 19 L.W Higgins. The score was tight for most of the way until Mount Carmel went on a 6-0 run to end the game, which resulted in a 32-24 Cubs’ win on Wednesday night.
Mount Carmel senior Lauren Fowler scored the final four points She finished with a game-high 16 points, 10 of which were scored in the fourth quarter
“We’re just happy to survive and advance,” Mount Carmel coach Jamie Thomatis said. “Lauren (Fowler) was definitely able to find momentum She’s our lead scorer, and we look to dump it into her as much as we can. When she’s off, it can affect us, so we were glad that she was able to get going in the second half.” Fowler couldn’t get much offense going early, but she was able to break through with help from senior point guard Jordyan Henley, who finished with a team-high eight assists and 10 steals.
“The first three quarters were really rough,” Fowler said. “Lots of shots didn’t go in that should’ve gone in I was just motivated to keep a larger run against (Higgins). They were kind of close, and it shouldn’t
have been that close.” Henley finished with 10 points and was Mount Carmel’s primary scoring source early on, with eight of her 10 points coming in the first half Other Mount Carmel scorers included Kate Cerise, Claire Cerise and Elizabeth Labiche with two points each.
Higgins limited Mount Carmel to 30% shooting from the field on a night in which neither team made a three-point shot.
“We all struggled from a field-goal percentage standpoint,” Thomatis said. “I think we went into halftime shooting like 20% from the floor (Higgins) just plugged away They fought, their leaders led, and they kept themselves in it.”
Mount Carmel led by five points at halftime, but Higgins started the second half by outscoring the Cubs 8-4 in the third quarter The fourth quarter was a different story with the Cubs outscoring the Hurricanes 12-5.
“It feels really good to get past the first round after last year,” Fowler said. Mount Carmel’s secondround playoff matchup will be in Baton Rouge against No. 3-seeded Woodlawn. Higgins (16-10) saw its season come to an end. Senior Alayla Davis had a team-high 12 points.
“The energy and effort was there,” Higgins coach Bryant Holmes said “I couldn’t ask for anything more. That senior group is the group that I came in with. We grew together.” Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@ theadvocate.com.
clearance ricocheted off her and into the net. Kingsland LeBourgeois was next with a goal in the 71st minute.
Finally, in stoppage time, Katie Gershanik rounded out the scoring with her breakaway goal to make it 7-0.
“When you play this way and so many different players get on the scoresheet sheet it underlines the quality through the lineup,” Newman coach Doug Freese said. “But the reality is that I had other kids who played the bulk of the minutes who didn’t get on the score sheet and they were all lights out good themselves.”
AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL GLANCE
Newman’s Sarah Gibbs Smallpage carries the championship trophy across the
with
Division IV state championship game on Tuesday at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond. Newman
Newman forward Liliane Arjmand gains control of the ball after a throw-in as Loyola’s Katelyn mcNeill defends in the second half. Arjmand scored one goal and assisted on another in winning most Outstanding Player.
CFP
continued from page 1c
provided the Fighting Irish are ranked high enough.
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told reporters, “I think there will be expansion.”
Any changes to the CFP for the 2025-26 cycle ending with January’s national championship game in Miami require unanimous approval from all members of the CFP Management Committee. Beyond that, a memorandum reportedly exists granting the SEC and Big Ten the right to impose changes over the CFP format beginning in 2026, when a new six-year contract with ESPN is scheduled to begin.
“The process going forward if we decide to make changes contemplates that the structure of that is led by the SEC and the Big Ten,” Petitti said. “It requires us to get a consensus to make a meaningful recommendation, if any to our colleagues in other leagues It also requires us to get their input on whatever it is we’re thinking about.
No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12). ACC champion Clemson was seeded 12th.
However, the top four teams in the final CFP rankings were Oregon and Georgia, followed by SEC runner-up Texas and Big Ten runner-up Penn State. Texas and Penn State hosted first-round, oncampus games while Georgia and Oregon started in the Sugar and Rose bowls, respectively
An expanded playoff guaranteeing a specific number of CFP bids for the SEC could persuade the league’s membership to expand from eight to nine conference games. The SEC adopted a modified eight-game format for the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, one that eliminated divisional play
“I’m prepared to vote for seeding change, but it has to be unanimous. Decisions will be made by everyone, not dictated by us.”
GreG SANKey Sec commissioner
“By definition, we need to get to a consensus among the two leagues (SEC and Big Ten). That’s the beginning of that process.”
Regarding playoff seeding, Sankey said: “I’m prepared to vote for seeding change, but it has to be unanimous.”
The 12-team CFP, expanded this past season from four teams for the first 10 years of its existence, called for four conference winners to receive a bye. Those ended up being No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten), No. 2 Georgia (SEC), No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West) and
WILLIAMS
continued from page 1c
As a freshman, he started 22 games and averaged 7.2 points in 19.5 minutes.
Williams has remained evenkeel during the inconsistencies of his second season. He credits his work behind the scenes and his teammates for helping him remain ready when coach Matt McMahon calls his name.
“Not getting the time you want on the floor, you know, you might not be getting any reps, so practice in the gym is the biggest thing and keeping confidence high,” Williams said. “These guys do a good job keeping my confidence high no matter if I’m playing or not.” McMahon praised Williams’ play on offense and defense.
“I’m really proud of him,” the third-year coach said. “He’s had a challenging year, disjointed at times. But, you know, I think he’s been really good for us here of late. He’s practiced at a high level I think he’s invested time in the gym.
“Defensively, he’s gotten a lot better and has been really active on that end of the floor So the four-guard lineup, with him a part of that, spacing helps him as well. Thought he was fantastic tonight.” When Williams holds up on
PELICANS
continued from page 1c
including 18 starts. His last start was right before the All-Star break in place of Zion Williamson. Green played a big role in that overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings, showing the versatility that makes him so valuable. He finished with nine points seven rebounds, five steals, two
Brown at peace after latest departure from Tar Heels
Former North carolina coach pulling for team’s success with belichick
BY STEPHEN HAWKINS AP sports writer
FORT WORTH, Texas Mack Brown
is back to living in Austin, Texas, during the winter and through the spring, and plans to spend the summer at the family’s home in the North Carolina mountains. He is certainly at peace nearly three months after coaching his final game for the Tar Heels
“We were doing that before and it worked,” Brown said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I may do some TV I’ll probably do some podcasts. I enjoyed that You can do it from North Carolina just as easy as anywhere.”
While the 73-year-old Brown was frustrated by how his departure was handled, the College Football Hall of Fame member reiterated Monday that he was ready to be done coaching after a second stint with the Tar Heels and he is pulling for them to be successful under new coach Bill Belichick.
“I think the frustration was it was probably more political than anything else,” Brown said. “They
knew I was going to be through at the end of the year, but there were some, a lot of people, that weren’t on the same page. So it didn’t really matter in the end.”
The winningest coach in Tar Heels history, Brown said he didn’t want to announce any change before the regular-season finale against rival N.C. State. But it was in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving week game that North Carolina said Brown wouldn’t be returning after six seasons in his second stint there.
“At North Carolina at that time, without revenue sharing, there wasn’t enough money, so you couldn’t compete. We had $4 million and you just couldn’t compete, and that was the frustrating thing,” Brown said Monday “So I thought it was really time for somebody new to come in for the $13 million revenue sharing and kind of get a fresh new start. And I’d had enough.”
One of the main reasons that Brown had even come back last season was to help oversee the program while player Tylee Craft was going through his cancer fight. The 23-year-old player died in October from a rare form of lung cancer
“He was sick for 21/2 years, and that was really the reason we came back for the last year, is we wanted to make sure that he was taken
care of,” Brown said. Brown got 113 of his 288 career victories at North Carolina. He coached at Appalachian State (1983) and Tulane (1985-87) before 10 seasons in his first stint with the Tar Heels, and then a 16-season run at Texas that included the 2005 national championship with quarterback Vince Young. The Longhorns lost to Alabama four years later after Colt McCoy got injured early in that title game.
North Carolina replaced Brown with six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Belichick, and gave the 72-year-old a five-year deal that guarantees the first three seasons.
“I’m proud of them that they finally committed. And Bill’s one of the best ever,” Brown said. “So I’m proud for the kids. I’ve got so many friends there, like I do at Texas. So I’m glad they finally stepped up, and now they should have a chance to compete with the best in the country.”
Brown hasn’t spoken to Belichick, but he did have a conversation with Michael Lombardi, who was hired by the new coach as the football program’s general manager
“(Lombardi) called me and talked to me about some things,” Brown said. “And I want them to be successful. I’m not that young guy that’s mad at the world and all that.”
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, a longtime proponent of a nine-game SEC slate, acknowledged that a decision on the nine-game schedule hinges on CFP expansion.
“We’re progressing, but we haven’t reached a final decision,” Woodward said. “A lot will be determined by the CFP.”
SEC and Big Ten representatives also discussed the pending House settlement that is expected to lead to revenue sharing with athletes, as well as the future structure of NCAA governance Petitti stressed that while the two leagues are leading discussions about these issues, it remains a collaborative process across college athletics. “Decisions will be made by everyone,” Sankey said, “not dictated by us.”
For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
defense, he’s able to stay on the court longer and benefit the offense, which has been starving for shooters Even after the South Carolina game, the Tigers are 10th in 3-point shooting in SEC play (30.8%). They are 298th in the country in 3-point shooting percentage for the season (31.7%).
Improved outside shooting thanks to Williams and guards such as Vyctorius Miller, who made his second start of the season, elevate LSU’s ability to create open shots from all levels. That development is LSU’s wild card It’ll remain just that until the Tigers prove their consistency starting at 8 p.m. Saturday when they play No. 2 Florida at the PMAC.
assists and a block. With the Pelicans clinging to a 138-133 lead, he came up with his final steal of the night to help preserve the win
“Javonte understands his role and how he can impact this team on both ends of the floor and he’s doing that,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said after that game. The five steals were a careerhigh for Green. Green averaged 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds. His best scor-
The injury knocked her career off its upward trajectory, sending it down a long, arduous path of recovery instead.
Smith had been down that road before: In high school, she tore the ACL and meniscus in her left knee. But this injury came with a fresh set of challenges, ones that took the form of extra competition — both internally and externally
While Smith rehabbed her knee, LSU scooped up 6-foot-5 forward Jersey Wolfenbarger from the transfer portal, and the Southeastern Conference added Oklahoma and Texas, two teams with rugged front courts. Because they lost Reese to the WNBA, the Tigers needed to make sure they could throw out enough size and length to compete for rebounds at the top of a tougher league
Only recently did Smith earn back those responsibilities and her role as the lead center, possibly for good.
Ahead of the Tigers’ home game against Georgia on Thursday (8 p.m., SEC Network), the redshirt sophomore has started each of the last eight games she’s played. On Sunday in a loss to Texas, Smith helped LSU defend 6-4 Taylor Jones and 6-6 Kyla Oldacre for 36 minutes, enough to tie her career-high.
“She battled,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “She blocked shots. She didn’t have a lot of the bulk, but buddy, she battled in there.”
In the seven games LSU played from Dec. 15 to Jan. 9, the thin, wiry 6-2 Smith saw the floor for three fewer minutes per night than Wolfenbarger, the starting center for each of those contests. Then something changed.
Mulkey put Smith back into the starting lineup before the Tigers beat Vanderbilt on Jan. 13, a move that has stuck in the eight games since. Smith now has seen more than twice as much run as Wolfenbarger has across the last seven games they’ve both played. Smith still isn’t scoring much — just 3.4 points per game on 38% shooting since Jan. 13. But she has corralled 17 rebounds and blocked five shots across LSU’s last two matchups, a close win over No. 15 Tennessee and a tight loss to the No. 2 Longhorns.
“I thought Sa’Myah was excellent today,” Mulkey said after LSU beat the Lady Vols. “I thought she grew up. She got a deflection early in the game. She was altering shots. She didn’t just
ing game for the Pelicans was a 15-point outing against the Golden State Warriors in November, and his best rebounding effort was 10 against Oklahoma City The Pelicans acquired a versatile player like Green right before the trade deadline when they received Bruce Brown as part of the Brandon Ingram deal Brown will fill Green’s role. Brandon Boston also will get more minutes. “I think you’ll see a lot of (Bos-
MORROW QUESTIONABLE VS. GEORGIA
Aneesah morrow might not play in the LSU’s Thursday home contest against Georgia. The No. 7 Tigers listed morrow as questionable against the bulldogs on the availability reports the Southeastern conference released Wednesday evening morrow, a senior hasn’t missed a single game in four seasons. She suited up for all 66 contests DePaul played across her first two years, then appeared in all 64 possible games in two seasons at LSU This season, morrow is averaging 18.1 points on 49% shooting and 14.4 rebounds per game She has also posted 24 doubledoubles, seven more than any other Division I player. morrow’s absence would thrust forward Jersey Wolfenbarger and center Aalyah Del rosario into larger roles Thursday. Reed Darcey
get pushed and shoved around. She could have played probably in some of those minutes that I gave the small lineup because I just thought she grew up today.”
Almost two months earlier, after a Nov 15 win over Murray State, Mulkey took a different tone, saying Smith has “got to get back to being the Sa’Myah of old.” She was still worrying about her knee, still trying to rediscover her lateral quickness and still committing too many fouls, Mulkey said.
LSU senior reserve Amani Bartlett wound up making her first career start over Smith three days later in a game against Troy, a decision Mulkey said she based on “focusing and paying attention in practice.” Smith still tallied nine points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes of action that night, then started the Tigers’ next six contests before ceding the job to Wolfenbarger for almost an en-
ton),” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said last week. Boston, whose career started with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2021, has played in 42 games for the Pelicans this season, averaging 10.7 points 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He scored a seasonhigh 26 points against Orlando in November
“I think you’ve seen Brandon get an opportunity to prove he’s clearly an NBA rotational play-
tire month.
“I didn’t really want to put too much pressure on myself,” Smith said, “because I know I still had to deal with that, the injury and coming back, but I still had big goals. Still wanted to do what I can for this team.”
Smith’s role is now on more solid footing, and her knee is strong enough to handle heavy minutes in intense, physical games.
Yet she’s still making sure to remind herself, as she told those middle schoolers in September, that she wants to accomplish more.
“The goal,” Smith said, “is definitely to get back to being the explosive, aggressive player that I am.”
Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
er,” Griffin said. “And one of the things with Brandon Boston when we brought him in, we claimed him and really intended him to be sort of the focal point offensive player on the G League team to a huge degree and thought he would be with us periodically What he’s shown is he might be the best on ball defender on our team.”
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.
ASSOcIATeD PreSS FILe PHOTO by GeOrGeWALKer IV big Ten conference commissioner Tony Petitti, left, and Southeastern conference commissioner Greg Sankey, right, hold a news conference after the two conferences held meetings on Oct 10 in Nashville, Tenn.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by mIcHAeL JOHNSON LSU forward Sa’myah Smith grabs the ball after being fouled in the first quarter of a game against UL on Dec. 15 at the Pete maravich Assembly center
Make a Cuban feast in Louisiana
I’ve still never been to Cuba, but I often find myself craving the food. A Lafayette restaurant called Cafe Habana City holds the lion’s share of responsibility for my extreme love of Cuban food — one dish in particular On the menu, it’s called Parilla de Pollo, made with thin cutlets of chicken breast pounded flat, marinated in what’s called a mojo sauce. I always order the dish served with white rice, black beans and maduritos
When Susan Jones a Baton Rouge massage therapist, shared her Cuban mother’s recipe for something very similar to what Cafe Habana serves, I felt like I had struck gold.
“My mom had chicken marinating in the refrigerator always. It was a part of our lives,” Jones said. Of course, as with most recipes along these lines, she had to do some thinking on proportions. Initially in a quest for exact measurements, we compared her notes and memory with other recipes. She went back and forth on whether or not I should include orange juice
“Growing up in Miami, my mom would send me over the fence to the neighbor’s backyard to pick a bitter orange from their tree of course, they knew we did that,” Jones said. “But I don’t know what the difference is between bitter oranges and what grows here in Louisiana except that bitter oranges are not sweet.”
ä See CUBAN, page 2D
STAFF PHOTO by JAN rISHer
Jan risher cooked a cuban feast of bistec de pollo en palomilla, white rice, black beans and maduritos (fried overripe plantains).
GARDEN PARTY
create a mindful pledge to vary the vegetables
BY APRIL HAMILTON contributing writer
After getting my fill of luxurious chocolates in February, I look ahead to National Nutrition Month which spans the 31 days of March. Fortunately, the indulgence of Mardi Gras season wanes just days after the month begins, providing the perfect opportunity for a Lenten challenge.
I plan to embrace my inner vegetable lover with a mindful pledge to vary my veggies, an eating style I call “garden party.”
Research shows that consuming 30 different plant foods weekly fuels us with a spectrum of vitamins and minerals while also being good for our gut microbiome — a hot topic that seems to appear on every health page. If it sounds more like a task than a good, tasty time, fret not. Spring brings an abundance of vibrant produce to the markets and neighbors’ gardens. Forage and feast. There is no limit to the combinations.
First source. Then, prep. Stroll a local farmer’s market, a favorite produce section, or co-op backyard harvesting with a neighbor and gather up the goods. Repeat weekly
ä See GARDEN, page 2D
BY BETH DOOLEY
minnesota StarTribune (TNS)
The
Perhaps
Jan Risher
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
GARDEN
continued from page 1D
Pro tip: Shop with a friend and share the chopping duties to cut prep time in half or engage the kids to create memorable conversations in the kitchen. Fill the fridge with containers of halved Brussels sprouts, florets of broccoli and cauliflower, julienned carrots, diced bell peppers, sliced celery, chopped onion and rinsed and spun lettuce to create a kaleidoscope of color and the Holy Trinity. This up-front investment pays dividends when cooking time rolls around Vegetables can be spun into pure gold whether displayed raw in an artful collage or roasted, steamed,
CUBAN
continued from page 1D
I ended up using nonbitter orange juice and lots of orange zest in mine. After I started making the marinade we discussed, she sent me a message saying I could go one of two routes one of which is super simple. I had already started making the more involved version, but next time I’ll try her simple ver-
sauteed or grilled with a kiss of smoke
At my house, every grilling occasion includes the contents of the produce drawer. The extras encore in quesadillas fried rice egg scrambles, salads, soups, pizzas or pasta sauces. The sky is truly the limit
My next best tip is to stash vegetable scraps in the freezer to make vegetable stock to preserve the bounty for future enjoyment. Over time, fill a gallon freezer bag with onion and carrot peels, celery tops and trimmings, garlic, mushroom and herb stems to cook in a gallon of water with bay leaves and a few peppercorns. An hour on the stove equals three quarts or so of an incomparable soup starter and contributes to
sion: a combination of lime juice, lime zest, garlic powder onion powder and salt.
“My mom would slice them really thin,” Jones said. “Out of one chicken breast, she probably got three steaks.” I mistakenly bought chicken breast tenderloins (smaller pieces of the breast). Still, I was able to cut them in half one time, which worked fine I decided to go all out and make the chicken, white rice (cooked in chicken broth),
the 30-plant goal.
For a fun form of motivation, chart the veggie progress and create a friendly competition. If 30 seems unattainable, think of each meal as a canvas to showcase a shower of herbs, nuts and seeds. And remember that dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and counts in the plant category.
Lemon vinaigrette
Zest and juice of 2 lemons to make 1 3 cup 1 3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Add the lemon zest and juice to a narrow-bottomed bowl and whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream to help emulsify the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and dress the orzo salad.
black beans and fried overripe plantains, similar to Cafe Habana’s maduritos.
The end result was a meal that will become part of my family’s permanent rotation. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is make extra marinade to be saved for the table so that I’ll have enough to pour that deliciousness over my plate once I’m ready to eat.
Buen provecho!
Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.
cuban feast.
Managing money with mother-in-law
Annie Lane DeArANNIe
Dear Annie: My motherin-law recently moved in with us after a very (thankfully) minor stroke She has NO savings, and up until that point she was working sporadically just to keep a roof over her head and food in her belly
If I may backtrack back to the no savings For the past 30 years, she has literally laid in bed and watched TV all day after her husband left her She would occasionally pick up a job but always lose it within a few months. She eventually moved in with her mother, who floated her until she passed away Over the course of this time, I desperately tried to get her in contact with different agencies to put her into housing and have her set up with health insurance counseling. She never took any of the advice given and instead just squandered everything while running up tremendous credit card debt, both for her and her mother The only reason she ever saw her three grandkids (our kids) is because we always bought her plane tickets. Otherwise, my children would not know her In hindsight,
byTheAssociated Press
Today is Thursday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2025. There are 314 days left in the year Today in history
On Feb. 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles northwest of Puerto Rico.
On this date:
In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the United States Post Office Department, the predecessor of the U.S. Postal Service.
In 1862, William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House from what was believed to be typhoid fever
TURKEY
4.
5. Using a mandolin or knife, slice onion
Place on top of chicken in container in fridge and marinate for at least four hours.
6. In a skillet (we used a nonstick one),
cook the individual pieces of chicken about 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. In a separate skillet while chicken is cooking, caramelize the marinated onions.
8 Once chicken and onions are cooked, top the chicken with the onions and serve with white rice, black beans and maduritos.
but olive oil and vinegar).
2 Cook for one hour on high pressure.
3 Drizzle “a healthy dose” of olive oil and white wine vinegar over beans before serving. Overripe fried plantains
5 overripe plantains (these are the plantains with dark,almost black peeling) oil
1. Cut plantains at a 45-degree angle (on the bias or slanted).
2. Fry in enough oil to cover about half of the plantain slices.
3. Optional: If you make the plantains in advance, place the fried slices in air fryer and cook for a few minutes so that they’re warm and crisp.
maybe that wouldn’t have been the worst thing. Back to the present day She is now in our house and her 20-year-old car is having issues. I told her that putting her money from her Social Security checks into fixing this car is just a losing proposition and she just needs to take our city’s bus. It is a clean and safe way to get around. She said she would rather die. She would never qualify for a car, and I think she’s hinting around that we could buy her a cheap little car In the meantime her Amazon packages are delivered to our house pretty frequently, and she is shopping for furniture We have sat down with her and we take a portion of her Social Security every month and put it away for her Like a child. She burns through the rest. She has been treated for depression, and I’m sympathetic to that, but at what point do you stop being sympathetic and remind someone they are responsible for their own decisions?
I’m just so tired of her problems becoming our problems. We have three kids, and we’re trying to save for college and invest in their future I feel like I’m raising her, too, as she is just so needy and irresponsible My husband agrees that she is a huge
TODAY IN HISTORY
In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the public’s health.
In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons,” among others, from being admitted to the United States.
In 1939, more than 20,000 people attended rally held by the German American Bund, a proNazi organization, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
In 1965, America’s Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface.
In 1998, American Tara Lipinski became the youngest-ever Olympic figure skating gold medalist when she won the ladies’ title at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games; American Michelle Kwan
continued from page 1D
spaghetti, use rice, etc. All you really need is a baking dish. Hot dish, done!
Turkey Tetrazzini
Serves 4-6 and is easily doubled. From Beth Dooley A winter classic, this hot dish is perfect for meal train assignments, potlucks and informal gatherings. It can be made a day ahead and heated right before serving. While the recipe calls for turkey, leftover chicken (especially rotisserie chicken) works beautifully, too.
1/2
small red bell pepper, seeded and diced, divided
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Heavily butter an 8-inchby-8-inch baking dish.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop the pasta. Cook just until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
3. In a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and saute the mushrooms, seasoning with a little salt and pepper until they have released their juices and begin to brown, about 12 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds Whisk in the wine and cook to reduce slightly, about 1 more min-
burden but is about to cave on buying her a car, as he thinks she would drive us too crazy if she didn’t have one. I am so opposed to rewarding her for being such a loser and burned out on helping this woman. I resent her so much, which is not the climate I want in my house My teenage son senses the tension and stress it is causing me. But I can’t throw her out because she would literally be homeless. Help! Getting Grifted by Grandma Dear Getting Grifted: You’re not wrong to feel frustrated and resentful from having to deal with the consequences of someone who spent decades avoiding responsibility It sounds like you’ve already set some boundaries, such as setting aside some of her Social Security, but they need to be much stronger.
Your husband should also understand that giving in to the car request for short-term peace will only lead to more demands down the road. Today it’s a car but what will it be tomorrow? Next week? Next year? Simply put, if she wants to waste her own money, she needs to feel the consequences of it.
Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
won the silver In 2003, a fire sparked by pyrotechnics broke out during a concert by the rock group Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200 others.
Today’s birthdays: Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 88. Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito is 83. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is 83. Film director Mike Leigh is 82. Actor Brenda Blethyn is 79. Actor Sandy Duncan is 79. Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is 71. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is 62. Model Cindy Crawford is 59. Actor Andrew Shue is 58. Actor Lili Taylor is 58. Singer Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys) is 50. Actor Lauren Ambrose is 47. Actor Jay Hernandez is 47. MLB pitcher Justin Verlander is 42. Comedian-TV host Trevor Noah is 41. Actor Miles Teller is 38 Singer Rihanna is 37. Singer-actor Olivia Rodrigo is 22.
ute. Whisk in the stock, increase the heat, bring to a boil and cook until the stock has reduced by half.
5. Whisk in the chunks of cream cheese, then fold in the turkey peas, parsley half of the cheese and half of the peppers.
6. Add the drained pasta and toss with tongs to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
7. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish and scatter the remaining cheese and peppers over the top. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and allow the dish to rest before serving. It will firm up as it cools.
Mugs, shirts, hats, posters, books. Something for everyone at the Advocate Store!
STAFF PHOTOS by JAN rISHer cooking thin, marinated chicken cutlets with caramelized onions for a
Fried overripe plantains are simultaneously sweet, mushy and crunchy
STAFF PHOTO by JAVIer GALLeGOS
Garden Party vegetable medley
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Exercise your body, mind and soul in ways that are exhilarating. Nothing happens without effort; do your part to ensure you manifest the life you desire.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Share a special moment with someone who can bring you joy or help you explore new possibilities. Refuse to let anger ruin your plans or get in the way of something that can help you
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Refuse to let uncertainty leave you bewildered. Hiding out won't help you get ahead. Wrap your head around your options and pick a path Discover what's possible.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Say no to anyone complicating your life, and focus on what's important. Put what you hear in context with what you want to do and try to simplify your life. Proceed calmly but with determination.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Size up your current situation, prospects and desires. It's time to take a chance and explore new possibilities. You may not welcome change, but to experience what life can offer, you must step outside your comfort zone.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Promoting something you are working toward prematurely will be met with criticism and potential loss. Take one step at a time. Focus on personal growth and gain, and finish what you start.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Walk away from temptation or anyone trying to
push you. A well-thought-out plan is the only way to implement desirable change. Put relationships first, show concern and be sensitive to the needs of loved ones
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Someone who excites you will grab your attention. A new adventure will spark your imagination and encourage you to change your direction, surroundings or pastimes
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) You're in the driver's seat; refuse to stop, because attention will be necessary to reach your destination. Keep tabs on how much things cost and consider with whom you want to share life. A project will require dedication.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Observation will pay off. Don't give away your secrets. Allowing others to steal your thunder or exploit your naivety will set you back and lower your self-esteem
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You're on the right track; focus on your goal. Forming good relationships with helpful people will encourage opportunities. Give yourself a chance to rejuvenate.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Fix your surroundings, but don't go over budget. Put your energy to good use, and you'll get what you want at a price you can afford. Trust your instincts
InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
RobertDuvallsaid,“Youjustcan’ttake a crash course to be a tango dancer in a movie.”
You can’t take a crash course to be an expertdeclarerinbridge.However,here is a chance to dance around a three-notrump deal. What should South do after West leads the heart jack?
Despite having only 20 high-card points, South’s hand is nearly strong enough to open two clubs and rebid two no-trump. All those aces and kings, along with the good five-card suit, make that hand worth some 22 points. (A two-notrump opening typically contains either three aces and one king or two aces and three kings. As this hand has two aces and four kings, it is over average.)
South starts with seven top tricks: three hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. Most days, he will get three more winners from clubs for an overtrick But it would be a good idea to sacrifice the potential extra trick to avoid crashing like the original declarer. He won the first trick and immediately took his two top clubs. When the queen did not drop, South continued with a third club. Now Eastdidwell,shiftingtothespadequeen. Whatever declarer did, he had to lose five spade tricks and go down two.
Sincethecontractisindangerofcrashing only if East gains the lead, South should have taken the first trick on
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.
GramS Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
ken ken
InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a
Scrabble
don’t miss don’t mis don’t miss
costume bazaar
From colorful and catchy to brilliant and bizarre, an annual designer gathering is the place to get Carnival inspiration. Find unique creations, hats, masks and vintage togs perfect for parade previewing, as well as makeup, from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the AllWays Lounge, 2240 St. Claude Ave. facebook.com/events.
family gras
For the first big weekend of parades, Jefferson Parish ranks up the entertainment value with three days of music, ood, an art market and Kids Court in the 3300 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard (at Lakeside Shopping Center) in Metairie. he lineup includes Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Debbie Gibson, Amanda Shaw, Gabby Barret, En Vogue and Imagination Movers. ates open an hour prior to the music, which begins at 4 p.m. 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. visitjeffersonparish.com.
‘against all odds’
barkus ball
The Mystic Krewe of Barkus puts on the dog at 6 p.m. Friday at The Windsor Court hotel with food and libations for the two-footed ballgoers and photo ops with the royals. Tickets are $150. The posh pooches continue the paw-ty at 2 p.m. Sunday for the parade through 15 blocks of the French Quarter starting at Armstrong Park on North Rampart Street. Find a map on Page 21. A preparade celebration starts at 10:30 a.m. kreweofbarkus.org.
‘o navio negreiro’
A public poetry reading and discussion of Castro Alves’ poem “The Slave Ship” will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Tulane University’s Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, 7001 Freret St. The program examining Brazil’s role in the slave trade of the Americas will include Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole and English. tulane.edu. Benjamin Franklin Elementary and Middle School students will present a Black history production of spoken word, singing, dancing and drama at 10 a.m. Monday at the Eleanor McMain Secondary School auditorium, 5712 S. Claiborne Ave. Tickets are free. babyben.org
LAGNIAPPE STAFF
The Lagniappe section is published each Thursday by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries about Lagniappe should be directed to the editor.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Jake Clapp, Arthur Hardy, Hannah Levitan, Doug MacCash, Mike Scott, Chelsea Shannon, Keith Spera, Poet Wolfe
GET LISTED IN LAGNIAPPE
Submit events to Lagniappe at least two weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.
ON THE COVER
A paradegoer raises her arms for throws as the Krewe of King Arthur rolls Uptown in 2024. Photo by Brett Duke. Arthur Hardy previews parade season ahead of week one of Carnival. Page 16.
Gary LeVox
We got the
Be on the lookout forCarnival’snewest dance team! HeartBeat is acolorful krewe of health care workersgetting readytomake their debut during Mardi Gras 2025. The team has morethan 150 members fromLCMC Health’s hospitals and clinicsacrossthe metro area. CatchaHeart Beat performanceinthe following parades:
Krewe of Freret February22
Krewe of Femme Fatale February23
Krewe d’Etat February28
music music music
JIM GAFFIGAN and SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO
THURSDAY, SMOOTHIE KING CENTER
Jim Gaffigan is an actor with dozens of comedic and dramatic roles to his credit, an author of two books, the star of 11 comedy specials — the most recent is Hulu’s “The Skinny” — and the father of five children. He’s also one of the country’s most popular stand-up comedians. He and Sebastian Maniscalco co-headline the Smoothie King Center in its reduced capacity configuration for the aptly named “A Night of Comedy” on Thursday. Gaffigan sees a similarity in the style of comedy in which he and Maniscalco specialize. “Artistically, we’re both victims,” Gaffigan said in a recent interview “Our point of view is that we’re subjected to what life has dealt us. I think people enjoy the outlet that we provide in our outrage at this human existence.” Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets start at $34 plus service charges.
Keith Spera SOUND cHecK
As New Orleans heads into carnival, local venues provide the soundtrack for the season.
Email Keith Spera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.
SATURDAY,THE BROADSIDE
For 20 years as New Orleans’ self-proclaimed “Dirty South Afrobeat Arkestra,” Gov’t Majik has paid tribute to Fela Kuti and other purveyors of Afro-funk music by churning out both deep-cut cover songs and original compositions. Anchored by bassist/vocalist Bru Bruser, the ever-shifting lineup takes its cues from Nigerian afrobeat, the Bombara music of Mali and more contemporary African music. On Saturday, the “MidCity Afrobeat Meltdown” features an 11-piece version of Gov’t Majik. The band’s five horn players include legendary funk alto saxophonist Greg Thomas, whose credits include P-Funk, the Gap Band and the Chuck Brown Band. Saturday’s show opens at 8 p.m. with Gov’t Majik guitarist Sam Dickey & Read the Sands. Gov’t Majik hits around 9 p.m. Starting at 11 p.m., DJ duo Afrobeatnola caps off the night with a dance party. Tickets are $20.
Gov’t majik
Sebastian maniscalco
Jim Gaffigan
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OTHER NOTEWORTHY SHOWS
THURSDAY
Singer-songwriter Andrew Duhon concludes his “Living Room Sessions” series at Chickie Wah Wah with featured guest Alex McMurray starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 plus fees.
The Wildlife Trio featuring Grayson Brockamp and Bailey Hinton intermingles blues, swing, gospel and Caribbean and South American music. Hear the Wildlife Trio at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro on Frenchmen Street. ($25).
FRIDAY
The music and comedy hybrid that is Tim Heidecker & the Very Good Band brings the “Slipping Away” tour to Tipitina’s Tickets start at $39.50.
Louis Michot, of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, leads his Swamp Magic ensemble — think a futuristic Cajun-based band that employs all sorts of electronic gadgetry and distortion — at Chickie Wah Wah. Showtime is 9 p.m.; tickets are $20.
Renowned jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen leads a trio featuring Philip Norris and Joe Farnsworth at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($40).
The heavily percussive RAM of Haiti plays a no-cover “Free For (Kanav)all” show at the Broadside’s indoor venue starting at 8 p.m.
Blues guitarist Little Freddie King hits d.b.a. on Frenchmen Street from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
The members of Galactic funk up Tipitina’s, the storied music club they’ve owned since late 2018, with the band’s featured vocalist, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, and opening act the Soul Brass Band Showtime is 10 p.m. Tickets are $32.
Traditional jazz clarinetist and composer Dr. Michael White and his Original Liberty Jazz Band swing into Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($35).
It’s “Mardi GROS” at the Maple Leaf Bar with the John “Papa” Gros Band and the Renée Gros Band starting at 10 p.m. Advance tickets are $25.
Rob Hudak & The Hawtsies bring
their “Hellraisin’” Mardi Gras show to Chickie Wah Wah with Derek W. Dooms & His Band starting at 10 p.m. ($15).
SUNDAY
Starting at 4 p.m., the Iguanas play a free show at the Broadside’s indoor venue.
Contemporary R&B singer Eric Bellinger brings his “Around the World Tour” to the House of Blues. Tickets start at $30.
Accordionist, singer and songwriter Bruce Daigrepont hosts a Carnival-themed Cajun fais do-do at Tipitina’s starting at 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $15.
Canadian blues guitarist Sue Foley plugs in at Chickie Wah Wah; tickets start at $30
Saxophonist Brad Walker, whose résumé includes six albums under his own name and a stint in Americana star Sturgill Simpson’s band, anchors a quartet that includes Galactic drummer Stanton Moore at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($25).
Keyboardist Keiko Komaki, guitarist June Yamagishi and drummer Donald MaGee team up at 9 p.m. at the Maple Leaf ($15 advance, $20 day of show).
MONDAY
New Orleans singer and entertainer Charmaine Neville holds
down her weekly gig at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($25).
TUESDAY
Americana duo Shovels & Rope visits Tipitina’s with James Felice Showtime is 8 p.m.; tickets are $35.
Ashlin Parker &Trumpet Mafia fire up at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m and 9:30 p.m ($20).
WEDNESDAY
Mardi Gras Indian funk band The Rumble featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr is augmented by special guest keyboardist Jon Cleary at Tipitina’s. The Zahria Sims Collective opens the show at 9 p.m.; tickets are $22.
The Jazz Foundation of America’s free weekly happy hour show at 5 p.m. at Snug Harbor presents drummer Doug Garrison & Friends Later on Wednesday at Snug, trombonist Terrance Taplin leads the Uptown Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($40).
Duhon
Shovels & rope
The rumble
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Tribute band ready to clown around for Joy Theater Carnival show
BY JAKE CLAPP GambitWeekly
When LSD Clownsystem started playing shows outside of New Orleans, the members of the band weren’t entirely sure if people in other cities would get it.
A raucous clown-themed band playing covers of LCD Soundsystem makes perfect sense in New Orleans. But what about in Austin, Texas, or New York City?
“It took us a long time to get out of town because, like, ‘What if it doesn’t feel as good or as special or it’s not as cool out there?’” vocalist and percussionist Brooke Paulus said. “Of course, it isn’t as cool (as New Orleans) out there, but it was still pretty awesome, and people were really receptive and had a great time. We had audiences full of clowns in both places.”
Paulus said touring has been something of a “proof of concept” for LSD Clownsystem. And it isn’t hard to see why crowds in other cities would want to buy into the idiosyncratic magic: An LSD Clownsystem show is a wild, joyous affair.
Decked out in clown makeup and costumes, the band of New Orleans musicians are close friends and collaborators, and they lean into community to help pull off immersive shows held only a few times a year. That camaraderie flows into the audience — often amplified in the crowd by spirits and other vices.
While a show may feel freewheeling, LSD Clownsystem is a top-tier tribute to dance-punk band LCD Soundsystem. Of course, the group also puts its own spin on the music by adapting lyrics to clowning and New Orleans and adding appropriate honks and bonks.
For the last few years, LSD Clownsystem has hosted a blowout, immersive show during Carnival, including the underwater-themed “20,000 Clowns Under the Sea” in 2023 and last year’s “Big Top Ball” — complete with a golden nitrous cracker hanging from the rafters.
This year, the band is expanding a past theme when it plays Saturday at the Joy Theater and hosts “Return to Clowntown.” Sabine McCalla opens.
“Return to Clowntown” revisits the band’s 2022 Halloween show, when the group built a town inside the
PrOVIDeD PHOTO by LeONe JULITTe
While an LSD clownsystem show may feel freewheeling, with bandmembers decked out in clown makeup and costumes, the group is a top-tier tribute to dance-punk band LcD Soundsystem.
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Toulouse Theater complete with a village newspaper called The Clowntown Tribune, a contested election and other free-flowing gags. Some attendees embraced the theme, like the “Town Crier,” a clown sobbing and yelling about the news, and the drive-thru operator of a fast-food restaurant called Clownies.
LSD Clownsystem is adding a Clownies when it rebuilds Clowntown in the Joy Theater. There’s also going to be another edition of The Clowntown Tribune available in the town bodega, new storylines and other Easter eggs spread throughout the set
“The theme of the show is that every clown has a job to do,” said bassist Ricky Ostry “We want everybody to show up sort of as an incarnation of what they dreamed they might be when they didn’t want to grow up.”
The band started out as a joke that stuck back in 2018. Ostry and other musicians were planning to cover LCD Soundsystem for the New Orleans Community Printshop’s annual cover
band show. Their drummer, Karl Tear, jokingly suggested they call themselves LSD Clownsystem.
“My immediate reaction was, ‘That’s a horrible idea,’” Ostry said with a laugh. “And here we are playing the Joy again.”
Along with Paulus, Ostry and Tear, LSD Clownsystem also includes vocalist Howe Pearson, who plays with The Deslondes; vocalist and percussionist Toren Hardee, of Wavering; vocalist and synth-player Julianne Merino, a costume and fashion designer; keysplayer Jake Gold, who plays with Margie Perez; and guitarist Kerem Ozkan, who also is a DJ.
The members are all involved in a long list of other bands, and a few musicians play together in different combinations in projects like the satanic ABBA tribute band BAAB and the Now That’s What I Call a Karaoke Band. Paulus, Ostry and Ozkan also DJ together as Solid Gold. And a few members belong to the surrealist Carnival krewe Interrobang.
Shows Shows Show howSpring Spring
“There was this creative energy all flowing around through our group, before and after the start of (LSD Clownsystem),” Ostry said. “We’re also all old pedicabbers, so we feel connected to the streets of the city.”
Paulus said LCD Soundystem is good “dance while you cry music.”
“It’s sexy, punk-y, dance-y, but it touches on some pretty heavy themes, like aging and dying and friendships,” she said. “All these things that are really important. Music should move your body and touch your heart and stimulate your mind. This music really does all three for me.”
In early 2023, LSD Clownsystem released its first recording, “New Orleans, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down.” It’s a lovingly made, local take on LCD Soundsystem’s bittersweet ode to New York City and frontman James Murphy’s love for and frustrations with the city
LSD Clownsystem has original music coming this year, starting with three tracks releasing to streaming
platforms ahead of the Saturday show. The songs depart from the LCD Soundsystem style — although there’s plenty of influences still there, especially in the parallel ways the bands sing about their home cities — and turn more toward the new wave bands at the root of the music, like Devo, Talking Heads and B-52s.
The band also plans to pop up a few more times this year, outside of their usual Carnival and Halloween time shows, Paulus said.
“We’re all throwing these big parties now, and for me, the driving thread through it all is they’re all very radical and sexy and fun and joy-based but also usually in line with or promoting a good cause,” Paulus adds. “If nothing else, community is the base of everything we do. The way people show up and are willing to be a part of it and build this thing with us is so special and cool.”
Email Jake Clapp at jclapp@ gambitweekly.com.
CHEERING SECTION
STAFF FILe PHOTO by ScOTTTHreLKeLD
The Krewe of cleopatra parades through
Orleans in 2024.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
The Krewe of excalibur rolls through the streets of metairie in 2024.
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PHOTO by breTT DUKe
PA RA DE ROU TE S l FrIDAy
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Freret new float and throw honor local icon Irma Thomas
You saw Soul Queen Irma Thomas sing with Mick Jagger at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last spring. Now, you’ll see a statue of the Crescent City icon on the bow of a new float in the Krewe of Freret Mardi Gras parade, which rolls Saturday.
Thomas’ career in R&B began in 1959, and her early hits, including “It’s Raining,” “Ruler of My Heart,” “Breakaway” and “Time is On My Side,” remain New Orleans standards.
“Time is On Our Side” is the theme of the 2025 Freret parade, and riders will toss special wooden medallions featuring a portrait of Thomas, suspended from a strand locally produced glass beads.
In February 2024, Freret announced that, an ecological measure, its riders would not toss plastic beads in 2025.
The Thomas float is under construction at Kern Studios, according to krewe spokesperson Greg Rhoades. It will join a lineup floats dedicated to New Orleans musical stars, including Trombone Shorty, Juvenile, Big Freedia, Boyfriend, Dr John, Louis Armstrong, Buddy Bolden, Ellis Marsalis, Professor Longhair and Allen Toussaint.
“It has been a joy to see it come to life,
and I can’t wait for my fans to see it parading down St. Charles Avenue alongside other local musical legends,” Thomas said in a statement. Rhoades said that, at this time, Thomas does not plan to ride in the parade. The 23-float Freret parade rolls at 3:30 p.m.
Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer Irma Thomas joins the ranks of musicians feted by Krewe of Freret floats.
PrOVIDeD PHOTO by KreWe OF FrereT
The Krewe of Freret will debut a float dedicated to Soul Queen Irma Thomas on Saturday.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by SOPHIA Germer Purple Heart veterans ride in the 2024 Legion of mars parade through Uptown in 2024.
In the preprinted Mardi Gras Guide inserted into subscribers’ home-delivered editions of The Times-Picayune on Friday, information about the Krewe of MadHatters was incorrect. Here is the correct information.
CORRECTION
Krewe
The Magical Krewe of MadHatters brings the “Magic of Wonderland” to Carnival in Metairie when the 800 co-ed riders take to the parade route along Veterans Memorial Boulevard on 36 Kern Studios floats. Watch for such titles as “Madhatter,” “Jabberwocky” and “the Smoking Caterpillar,” all characters from Lewis Carroll’s fanciful tale. Serving as the MadHatter will be Jerry Christopher Jr., with Rachel Fleetwood as Alice. Grand marshal for the parade will be Al “Carnival Time” Johnson; and Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser will be a special guest. Local television journalists serve as the “court” characters from the Alice saga, including Lee Zurik, Bruce Katz, Sula Kim, Elizabeth Kuebel, Katie Moore, Shay O’Conner and Brheanna Boudreaux. Costumes are made by Molly Stackhouse Ernst and D&D Creations. Throws include MadHatter hats, lighted scepters, beads, footballs, T-shirts and other specialty hats. Silver aluminum doubloons will also be thrown. The MadHatters Bash was Jan. 18 at Mardi Gras World on the riverfront in New Orleans. MadHatters rolls in Metairie at 5 p.m. Saturday.
parade of denim
STAFF FILe PHOTO by ScOTTTHreLKeLD
The magical
of madHatters rolls in metairie in 2024.
Scan formore MardiGrasfun!
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PARTY TOWN
2025 is full of reasons to celebrate as some krewes return and others reach milestones
CARNIVAL CLOSE-UP
ArTHUr HArDy
Has there ever been a more eventful start to a calendar year?
The Jan. 1 tragedy on Bourbon Street and a record snow in New Orleans, followed by the first Super Bowl the city has hosted in 11 years, all led up to the 2025 Carnival parade season.
This Carnival season should be the safest ever because of new enhanced security measures. Thankfully, these new safety protocols will not alter parade routes in New Orleans.
Other big changes that were scheduled for this season were put on pause last week when the City Council decided to deprioritize enforcement of new rules banning tents and canopies, open flame grills, roping off personal viewing space and stationing private, portable toilets on public property.
This year, there’s plenty to look forward to, from significant anniversaries to new lineups.
ABOVE: The Krewe of choctaw parades in 1979. The krewe turns 90 this year.
FILe PHOTO by rONALD LebOeUF
RIGHT: The Krewe of Pygmalion parades through New Orleans in 2024.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
LEFT: Shaquille O’Neal is this year’s bacchus.
FILe PHOTO by JOSe cArLOS FAJArDO ä See HARDY, page 18T
ABOVE: Pearl river High School cheerleaders parade through the streets of Slidell during the 2024 Krewe of Dionysus parade.
LEFT: marrero’s Krewe of Nandi rolls in its inaugural parade in 2024.
The mystic Krewe of Druids parades on the Uptown route in 2024.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by SOPHIA Germer
FILe PHOTO by GrANTTHerKILDSeN
STAFF FILe PHOTO by ScOTTTHreLKeLD
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HARDY
continued from page 16
Saturday, Feb. 22 • 5:30 p.m.
Happy anniversaries
Parading clubs celebrating special anniversaries in 2025 include Elks Orleanians (90), Choctaw (90), Pontchartrain (50), Dionysus (40), Pygmalion (25), Muses (25), Morpheus (25) and Poseidon (10). The ball-only Krewe of Harlequins marked its 100th year in January
This will be a good year for celebrities, with headliners Shaq O’Neal as Bacchus, Katy Perry as Endymion’s main attraction, and Bianca del Rio and the Brothers Osborne starring in Orpheus.
The Krewe of Mid-City is bringing back the band contest that was a highlight of its parades in the 1960s. The Charlie Bourgeois Memorial Band Contest is named after the krewe’s founder and original captain.
The American Red Cross will expand its visibility along parade routes in New Orleans as it provides services to the general public and to first responders.
On the move
Some parades are moving. The Krewe of Alla will take the spot vacated by Nyx, following Druids starting at Jefferson Avenue and Magazine Street on the Wednesday before Fat Tuesday
For the past few years as the final parade in a triple-header on the first Friday of the parade season, the Alla parade has ended past midnight, so this is a welcome move.
And for the first time in its 93-year history, Alla will feature Black royalty. For the past two years, some Cleopatra tandem floats have had problems making the turn on Jefferson, so Cleopatra will move its starting point to Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street.
The Krewe of Endymion’s post-parade Extravaganza will return to the Caesars Superdome and its full pre-COVID route has been restored.
The Rex Organization announced the Queen of Carnival’s reviewing stand will be moved from the InterContinental Hotel, where it has been since 1992, to Pascal’s Manale Restaurant.
The new location is at Napoleon and Dryades Street, 11 blocks from the parade’s start. The change will allow the court to watch the entire parade and give them more time for other Mardi Gras activities. The toast will also be earlier, moving from later in the afternoon to around 11 a.m.
Trending in New Orleans
The popularity and size of the pre-season alternative krewes continue to grow. This year’s Chewbacchus parade featured 3,000 walkers and took nearly three hours to pass.
More krewes are getting involved in philanthropic programs. And while the demand for float-specific items has increased, several krewes are moving away from plastic in favor of sustainable, eco-friendly throws.
Jefferson Parish developments
The standard Metairie parade route has
STAFF FILe PHOTO by SOPHIA Germer
The Spartan Society parades through Uptown in 2024.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
The Krewe of Oshun parades through New Orleans in 2024.
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reverted to its original form with parades starting at Clearview Parkway and ending at Martin Behrman Avenue.
The Krewe of Caerus, which has tried the past three years to mount a parade, will not roll, nor will the Culinary Queens of New Orleans
The Krewe of Kings returns for the first time since 2020 and will follow Centurions on Lundi Gras.
The Krewe of Little Rascals parade returned after a oneyear hiatus. Atlas moves back into its first weekend slot during Family Gras on Sunday.
Mardi Gras weather
Most of the media coverage about the history of snow in New Orleans seems to have forgotten its effect on Carnival. Mardi Gras 1899 saw New Orleans covered in snow. Temperature dipped to an all-time
low of 6.8 degrees the Sunday before Fat Tuesday, and large blocks of ice floated down the Mississippi River at Canal Street.
Legend has it that that year, Rex rode with a frozen mustache on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The Krewe of Proteus postponed its Lundi Gras parade until the Friday after Ash Wednesday, the first time a Mardi Gras parade rolled during Lent.
The Krewe of carrollton parades along the Uptown route in 2024.
In 1958, the Babylon parade was postponed because of snow in New Orleans on Wednesday, Feb. 12. In 1988, the Friday, Feb. 5, parades of Atlas, Gladiators and Cleopatra were postponed due to snow earlier in the day And speaking of weather, the last four times that Fat Tuesday fell on March 4, the temperature range was from 53 to 69 with no rain.
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PHOTO by breTT DUKe
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PA RA DE ROU TE S l SATUrDAy, SUNDAy
members of the Dazzling Diamond Dancers perform in the rain as the mystic Krewe of Olympia rolls in covington in 2024.
Krewe of Tchefuncte
Feb. 22 • Noon
FILe PHOTO by ScOTT THreLKeLD
Experience themagic of Houma’sfamily-friendly MardiGraswithexcitingparades, endlessthrowsand true Cajunhospitality! Located just an hoursouthwest of NewOrleans, joinusand letthe good timesroll!
EXPLOREHOUMA.COM/DO/MARDI-GRAS
STAFF FILe PHOTO by SOPHIA Germer Pups in the 2024 mystic Krewe of barkus parade through the French Quarter.
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STAFF FILe PHOTO by DAVID GrUNFeLD
The Krewe of Push mow meanders through the streets of Abita Springs in 2024.
STAFF FILe PHOTO by breTT DUKe
The mystic Krewe of music parade rolls in marrero in 2024.
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STAFF FILe PHOTO by cHrIS GrANGer
The Krewe of Alla parades through New Orleans in 2024.
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The Goddess is a special king cake from the New Orleans center for creative Arts made in partnership with the Krewe of muses. It’s made with goat cheese, fig, candied orange and toasted walnuts, and topped with silver icing
Muses, NOCCA collaborate on a shimmery Goddess
BY CHELSEA SHANNON Staff writer
The celebration of the Krewe of Muses’ 25th year is marked with a limited-edition king cake celebrating and inspired by the Greek Muses.
The Goddess king cake was created by Muses in partnership with New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts students under the guidance of culinary faculty.
NOCCA instructor and chef Dana D’Anzi Tuohy said the students used different elements of their education and had several research sessions to create this silver-dusted king cake.
The pastry’s filling swirls together goat cheese, figs, thyme and candied oranges. The dusting over candied orange icing gives the king cake a silver look before it is topped with walnuts and a special silver bean marked with an “M.”
During Carnival, students at NOCCA are no strangers to making hundreds of king cakes. Tuohy said that in addition to practicing the craft of making a king cake, the students learn about the business elements that come with making and selling a product, and the king cake production serves as a fundraiser for the students’ education.
“We are able to produce funds to run our department all year from king cake season,” she said. The opportunity to incorporate their culinary knowledge is valuable for the student chefs.
Chef Eliza Lloyd said this year’s crop of king cakes has been the best to create.
In addition to crafting the Goddess with Muses, students have been cranking out Louisiana satsuma and almond, gluten-free cinnamon and chocolate raspberry king cakes. They also created a salted caramel apple and Key lime blueberry, but these two are out of stock in the NOCCA Marketplace.
While in the culinary program at NOCCA, Lloyd and her classmates Leilani Staes, Bryce Vaccaro, Jaiden Martin and Alexander Williams shared that some of their favorite things to learn to cook and create include pho, sushi, curries from all cultures and in general learning international cuisines. Staes said their education lent itself to the creation of the Goddess king cake.
“All of the things we learned from the international levels, we were able to incorporate in our king cakes,” Staes said.
In addition to the collaborative king cake, NOCCA student Piper Schaumburg was selected to design the krewe’s 2025 signature cup. If parade revelers aren’t lucky enough to catch the cup designed by Schaumburg, they will get to wave at the NOCCA students marching in the Muses parade on Feb. 27.
The special king cake is available for purchase through the NOCCA Marketplace and King Cake Hub. NOCCA’s king cake program sales proceeds support NOCCA’s Culinary Arts department.
The NOCCA Foundation, NOCCA’s nonprofit partner, oversees the fundraising program.
Email Chelsea Shannon at cshannon@theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTOS by IAN mcNULTy
food food food
night Date
How to eat like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Lilette
BY POET WOLFE and HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writers
Two days before New Orleans hosted Super Bowl LIX, throngs of keen-eyed fans and paparazzi congregated outside of Lilette with cameras raised high in the air
Ear-splitting screams and flashing lights erupted as Taylor Swift stepped out of the French restaurant in Uptown, hand-in-hand with boyfriend Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Swift — wearing a short dress adorned in black lace — gave a red-lipped smile to the crowd as Kelce, who opted for a casual gray tracksuit, waved
It was just after 10 p.m. that the quasi-royal couple left Lilette, where they dined with Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, and his wife, Brittany.
Of all the restaurants in New Orleans that reign as celebrity hot spots, Lilette may not be the place you would expect to spot minted luminaries.
Tucked away in a corner of Magazine Street, the pastel yellow restaurant doesn’t beg for your attention Its exterior appears more like another home in the neighborhood than an eatery. Lilette’s interior feels just as cozy, with checkered floors, Merlot red walls and antique ceilings
We went to Lilette on Thursday afternoon, eager to try the same meals as the megastars and discover why this might have been their restaurant of choice.
What did they order?
The menu items that the star-studded table ordered, which have circulated across social media, ranged between upscale and comfort cuisine.
Swift ordered the seared Kobe burger with French fries, an American classic that echoes her unofficial title as America’s sweetheart. The Chiefs teammates ate protein-packed meals, with Kelce selecting the grilled hanger steak. The Mahomes reportedly ordered the same entrée: roasted poulet chicken breast.
Kansas city chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift kiss
against the buffalo bills on Jan. 26 in Kansas city, mo.
At a recent visit to French restaurant Lilette in New Orleans, Taylor Swift chose the Kobe burger with fries, above, and Travis Kelce went with the hanger steak, below right They shared an appetizer of Louisiana crab claws with passionfruit butter, below left, with chiefs teammate Patrick mahomes and his wife.
Their dining experience started with two appetizers — potato gnocchi and Louisiana crab claws with passionfruit butter — and ended with two desserts: an ice cream trio and coconut cake.
ASSOcIATeD PreSS FILe PHOTO byASHLey LANDIS
after the AFc championship NFL football game
STAFF PHOTO by POeTWOLFe
STAFF FILe PHOTO by IAN mcNULTy
STAFF FILe PHOTO by breTT DUKe Lilette restaurant is a cozy French restaurant tucked away on magazine Street.
FILe PHOTO byTODDA.PrIce
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Dining at Lilette
Immediately welcomed by the host, our party of two was seated in a booth beside a window, an ideal spot for people watching. Natural light fills the space, curating a fun outing with friends or a more intimate meal once the lights dim and the velvety walls set the mood.
Our host and server exuded the standard of Southern hospitality, so it’s no wonder why celebrities who aren’t from the region would flock to this sleek, yet homey spot.
We placed an order almost identical to Swift and Kelce’s dinners. Of course, we also had to taste what the Mahomes ate, so we split three entrées
We tried Lilette’s popular appetizers first An easier seafood to crack than crawfish, the crab claws were fresh and flavorful. The addition of passionfruit butter, a sweet golden sauce drizzled on top of the claws and pooled on the plate, made it all the more delectable.
The potato gnocchi, garnished with
three strips of parmesan cheese, were plump and chewy dumplings encased in an alfredo-like concoction of brown butter and cream.
A table spread fit for a feast, we dug into our medium-rare steak after, savoring the bordelaise sauce and fries. Tender, rich and juicy, the steak combined smoky flavors with a slight sweetness in the sauce.
The roast poulet breast, a succulent chicken crowned with finely chopped mushrooms, sat on a nest of Brussels sprouts and red onion doused in balsamic vinaigrette.
The burger, which the server recommended we order medium, was also a highlight of the meal. Topped with white cheddar and gremolata on a sesame seed bun, it was a filling and savory choice that paired well with its side of crisp, salty fries.
Despite our red meat-heavy lunch, Lilette’s use of clean ingredients closely resembling traditional European cuisine left us feeling satisfied rather than overstuffed.
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Slidell theater gets a visit from aliens from outer space
What could possibly happen in the area during Carnival that’s any weirder than some of the Mardi Gras parades?
Well, at Slidell Little Theatre, there seems to be an alien issue. We’re talking “Close Encounters”-type stuff here.
And the fun gets going when
the aliens touch down, sort of, in “All’s Well in Roswell (Isn’t It?).”
When a UFO plunges into a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico, in the late 1940s, rancher Ulysses T. Boone gets bombarded by government types, journalists and his family.
PrOVIDeD PHOTOS
Lucas bissett is a rancher and Juwyne Johnson is Jake, a mysterious farmhand, in Slidell Little Theatre’s play about an alien encounter, ‘All’s Well in roswell (Isn’t It?).’
Victor Andrews
stages stages stages
Plus his ranch hand Jake, a mysterious fellow who’s been around for a decade, turns out to be an alien waiting to be retrieved. “E.T., phone home?”
Indeed, that’s what’s going on but can it all happen before the world learns Boone’s secret?
Jonah Boudreaux directs, with Lucas Bissett as the rancher and Juwyne Johnson as Jake. Also taking roles in the show are Sean Noggerath, Isis Dubuclet, Kylie Ritter, Adam Landry, Victoria Mattern, Elise Davis, Christopher Hreha, Pluto Topper, Madison Johnson, Will White, Jayden Johnson, Bailey Whitley, Kaya Welsh, Kimberly Nichols and James Michel.
The show is at 8 p.m Friday and Saturday, plus 2 p.m. Sunday, at 2024 Nellie Drive. It skips a week for Carnival and continues March 7-9. Tickets for
it up with many of the original cast on board, including Becky Allen. rivertowntheaters.com.
“CAMP BLUDSHED”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; Robert E. Nims Lab Theatre, University of New Orleans Performing Arts Center on the lakefront campus. Reimagining of an ’80s slasher film about a summer camp with a history of murders reopening. Free.
“MURDER ON THE NILE”: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Jefferson Performing Arts Center, 6400 Airline Drive in Metairie. Dame Agatha Christie’s play, which the author later shifted into the novel, “Death on the Nile,” follows a group on an Egyptian cruise, including the wealthy Kay Ridgeway on her honeymoon and surrounded by plenty of passengers who have good yet nefarious reasons for wanting her dead. Tickets start at $20. jpas.org.
the show start at $25. Visit slidelllittletheatre.org.
Onstage
“...AND THE BALL AND ALL”: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday; Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, 325 Minor St., Kenner Ricky Graham’s look at the mythical krewe preparing for the parade and ball celebrates 30 years of “y’atting”
uno.edu/sota-performances/theater
“FEVER” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday; Dillard University Theatre, Cook Performing Arts Center, 2601 Gentilly Blvd. World premiere by Carolyn Nur Wistrand looks at Marie Laveau and the 1853 yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans and how she deals with the infected and life in the French Quarter. Tickets start at $5. dillard.edu.
“PRICK”: 7:30 p.m. through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Lupin Theatre, Dixon Hall, 69 Newcomb Circle, Tulane University The ensemble production goes back in time for the executions surrounding the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563-1736. Inspired by a podcast called “Witches of Scotland,” the author penned the work for Edinburgh’s Fringe festival in 2023. Tickets start at $10. purplepass.com/TULANETD.
Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@ theadvocate.com
Also starring in Slidell LIttle Theatre’s production of ‘All’s Well in roswell (Isn’t It?)’ are Isis Dubuclet, from left, christopher Hreha and Sean Noggerath.
AVENGERS, REASSEMBLE
New
Orleans’ Anthony mackie helps marvel hit reboot in ‘captain America: brave New World’
With every end comes a new beginning. Not even the mighty Avengers are immune from that immutable law
Sometimes, though, that new beginning just takes a little longer to arrive than some might like.
Six years after the arrival in theaters of the record-setting “Avengers: Endgame” — in which time the Marvel Cinematic Universe has spawned no fewer than 12 films and 13 TV series — we finally get what feels like a new start to the “Avengers” franchise with “Captain America: Brave New World.”
For dedicated Marvel fans, the importance of this moment can’t be overstated.
Review
When all is said and done, “Brave New World” stands to be remembered as a major inflection point in what is one of the most celebrated film franchises in Hollywood history.
Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing hinges on a few burning questions:
Can “Brave New World” suitably pay homage to the series’ past without being weighed down by it?
Can it recapture the magic — and audiences’ attention — in a dramatically altered post-COVID cinema landscape?
Perhaps most of all, can New Orleans actor Anthony Mackie — who was bequeathed the iconic shield at the conclusion of “Endgame” — satisfyingly fill Chris Evans’ star-spangled shoes while at the same time making the role his own?
The answer to all three: Yes, but.
Living up to ‘Avengers’
Comparisons to 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” are inevitable, and, in that re-
wasted in a meaningless role as the baddie Sidewinder, whose presence just clutters the narrative. The same can be said for Carl Lumbly’s return as Korean-era supersoldier Isaiah Bradley. Similarly, the film’s conclusion, which relies just as much on hugs as headlocks, feels a touch anticlimactic.
A terrific cast
Still, built as it is around big, dazzling action sequences and a terrific cast — which in addition to the charismatic Mackie includes Harrison Ford and Tim Blake Nelson — “Brave New World” still manages to scratch the “Avengers” itch.
spect, “Brave New World” feels like a runner-up in most categories.
That said, for the first time since “Endgame,” Marvel has given us a movie that truly feels like it lives up to the “Avengers” tradition.
That’s not to say it’s perfect. For starters, an overstuffed script infuses a certain ponderousness to it all. Rather than charting a truly inventive course, there’s a lot of plate-spinning here.
For instance: Giancarlo Esposito is largely
What’s more, it does it while reaching back into the franchise’s past but without making the viewing of all 34 previous installments a pre-requisite for enjoying it.
The spoiler-free set-up: Mackie’s character, a military veteran, counselor and former “Avengers” sidekick named Sam Wilson, has traded in his Falcon alter-ego (and his deep reservations) to finally accept the Captain America mantle. He’s still reluctant to take the superserum that made the previous Cap the indomitable force he was, but Sam’s got ethics to spare — not to mention tactical experience and a supersuit powered
PrOVIDeD PHOTOS by DISNey/mArVeL New Orleans actor Anthony mackie is captain America, right, and Danny ramirez is the new Falcon in director Julius Onah’s ‘captain America: brave New World.’
Harrison Ford portrays the red Hulk in ‘captain America: brave New World.’
Mike Scott
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD
HH½
CAST: mackie, Harrison Ford,Tim blake Nelson, Danny ramirez, Shira Haas, Giancarlo esposito.
DIRECTOR: Julius Onah.
RATED: PG-13
TIME: 1 hour 58 minutes
WHEN AND WHERE: Now playing in wide release.
by next-level Wakandan gear.
Think of him as Batman minus the brooding.
‘Captain America will return’
Summoned to the White House by newly elected President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (played by Ford, assuming the role in place of the late William Hurt), he learns of a grave new global threat that needs addressing.
Surprisingly, for Cap and for us, Ross — a former general who split the Avengers into temporarily warring factions in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War” — implores him to reassemble the “Avengers” to meet it. Naturally, complications ensue, including the emergence of an old “Avengers” nemesis — as well as a hulking red new one.
In the interest of suspense, the less said about all that the better.
Perhaps most intriguing are the tantalizing words displayed on the screen shortly before the shrugworthy post-credits sequence: “Captain America will return.”
For the first time in a while, that feels like something to look forward to.
Mike Scott can be reached at moviegoermike@ gmail com.
